Antibiotic cryptdin peptides and methods of their use

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides substantially purified cryptdin peptides having a consensus amino acid sequence: 
     
       
         X 1 -C-X 2 -C-R-X 3 -C-X 4 -E-X 5 -C-X 6 -C-C-X 7   
       
     
     wherein X 1  is 3 to 9 amino acids; X 2  is one amino acid, preferably Y, H or R; X 3  is 2 or 3 amino acids; X 4  is three amino acids; X 5  is five amino acids; X 6  is 6 to 10 amino acids; and X 7  is 0 to 9 amino acids. The invention also provides a substantially purified mouse cryptdin having a consensus amino acid sequence: 
     
       
         X 1 -L-X 2 -C-Y-C-R-X 3 -C-K-X 4 -E-X 5 -G-T-C-X 6 -C-C-X 7   
       
     
     wherein X 1  is 3 or 4 amino acids, preferably LRD, LSKK (SEQ ID NO: 1) or LRG; X 2  is 1 amino acid, preferably V, L or I; X 3  is 3 amino acids, preferably KGH or *RG, where * is S, T, K, I or A; X 4  is 2 amino acids, preferably GR, RR or RG; X 5  is 3 amino acids, preferably RMN, RVR, RVF HMN or HIN; X 6  is 6 to 9 amino acids, preferably GIRFLY (SEQ ID NO: 2) or RNLFLTFVF (SEO ID NO: 3), RRGHLMYTL (SEQ ID NO: 4) or RKGHL*YT* (SEQ ID NO: 5), where * independently is L or M; and X 7  is 0 to 3 amino acids, preferably R, S or PRR. The invention also provides cryptdin analogs, which are devoid of one or more amino acids N-terminal to the first cysteine. In addition, the invention provides nucleic acid molecules encoding cryptdin peptides. The invention further provides methods for detecting inflammatory pathologies in a subject and for treating an inflammatory pathology in a subject by administering a pharmaceutical composition containing a cryptdin peptide.

This application is a continuation of United States Ser. No. 09/015,968, filed Jan. 30, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,425, issued May 2, 2000; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/482,279, filed Jun. 7, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,498, issued Nov. 24, 1998; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/342,268, filed Nov. 18, 1994, now U.S. Pat. 5,844,072, issued Dec. 1, 1998; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/930,649, filed Aug. 14, 1992, now U.S. Pat. 5,422,424, issued Jun. 6, 1995; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/889,020, filed May 26, 1992, now abandoned, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

This invention was made with government support under grant numbers AI22931, AI31696, DK08851, DK44632 and DK33506, awarded by National Institutes of Health. The Government has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to antimicrobial peptides and more specifically to cryptdin peptides, nucleic acid molecules encoding cryptdins, and their uses.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Survival in a world teaming with microorganisms depends on a network of host defense mechanisms. Among these mechanisms are phagocytosis by cells are resident in tissues or that circulate in the blood system and ingest, kill and digest potentially harmful microbes. Although pathogenic microbes may vary considerably, phagocytes are able to destroy the vast majority by sequestering them in intracytoplasmic vacuoles and exposing them to a lethal mixture of organic and inorganic toxins.

Perhaps the most remarkable ultrastructural feature of phagocytes are their several thousand cytoplasmic granules, which are membrane-bound organelles typically about 0.3 μm in diameter. During phagocytosis, some of these granules fuse to phagocytic vesicles thus enabling the contents of the granule to enter the lumen of the vesicle. Early observers surmised correctly that the granules contained factors which were responsible for intraphagosomal killing in digestion of microbes. These granules contain a mixture of antimicrobial molecules including various peptides such as the so-called defensins.

Defensins are abundant antimicrobial peptide components of vertebrate neutrophil and macrophage granules. Members of the defensin family have been identified previously in human, rabbit, guinea pig and rat phaodyes,primarily those phagocytes termed phagocytic granulocytes. Defensins are cationic peptides that have molecular weights between about 3 and 4 kiloDaltons (kDa) and that exhibit broad-range antimicrobial activities against gram negative and gram positive bacteria, many fungi and some enveloped viruses. The peptides are characterized by eight invariant amino acids, including six invariant cysteine residues that constitute a unique disulfide motif. The three disulfide bonds stabilize a tertiary conformation consisting predominantly of β-sheet. The highly ordered structure and the absence of a helix make defensins unique among known antimicrobial peptides. It appears that defensins exert their antibacterial effect by permeabilizing the cytoplasmic membrane of the target microorganism by a Mechanism that may involve the formation of ion channels or transmembrane pores.

Until recently, defensins had been identified only in circulating or tissue phagocytes of myeloid origin. However, based on the presence of a particular mRNA, it has been surmised that similar peptides might be present in the epithelial cells of the small intestine. Such intestinal peptides may prevent access of microorganisms through the small intestine into the systemic circulation and, therefore, can be useful as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent. Thus, a need exists to identify peptides that have antimicrobial activity within the uiucosal epithelium or in the intestinal lumen. The present invention satisfies this need and provides additional benefits as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a substantially purified cryptdin peptide having a consensus amino acid sequence:

X₁-C-X₂-C-R-X₃-C-X₄-E-X₅-C-X₆-C-C-X₇

wherein X¹ is 3 to 9 amino acids; X₂ is 1 amino acid, preferably Y, H or R; X₃ io 2 or 3 amino acids X₄ is 3 amino acids; X₅ is 5 amino acids; X₆ is 6 to 10 amino acids; and X₇ is 0 to 9 amino acids.

The invention also provides a substantially purified mouse cryptdin having a consensus amino acid sequence:

X₁-L-X₂-C-Y-C-R-X₃-C-K-X₄-E-X₅-G-T-C-X₆-C-C-X₇

wherein X₁ is 3 or 4 amino acids, preferably LRD, LSKK (SEQ ID No: 1) or LRG;

X₂ is 1 amino acid, preferably V, L or I;

X₃ is 3 amino acids, preferably KGH or *RG, where * is S, T, K, I or A;

X₄ is 2 amino acids, preferably GR, RR or RG;

X₅ is 3 amino acids, preferably RMN, RVR, RVF HMN or HIN;

X₆ is 6 to 9 amino acids, preferably GIRFLY (SEQ ID NO; 2) or RNLFLTFVF (SEQ ID NO: 3), RRGHLMYTL (SEQ ID NO: 4) or RKGHL*YT* (SEQ ID NO: 5), where * independently is L or M; and

X₇ is 0 to 3 amino acids, preferably R, S or PRR.

For example, the invention provides various mouse, rat or human cryptdins having the sequence:

1) LRDLVCYCRSRGCKGRERMNGTCRKGHLLYTLCCR (SEQ ID NO: 6);

2) LRDLVCYCRTRGCKRRERMNGTCRKGHLMYTLCCR (SEQ ID NO: 7);

3) LRDLVCYCRKRGCKRRERMNGTCRKGHLMYTLCCR (SEQ ID NO: 8);

4) GLLCYCRKGHCKRGERVRGTCGIRFLYCCPR (SEQ ID NO: 9);

5) LSKKLICYCRIRGCKRRERVFGTCRNLFLTFVFCC (SEQ ID NO: 10);

6) LKQCHCRKFCRPYEKAEGSCRPGLFIKRKICCIQQWTPG (SEQ ID NO: 11);

7) GLLCYCRKGHCKRGERVRGTCGIRFLYCCPRR (SEQ ID NO: 12);

8) LSKKLICYCRIRGCKRRERVFGTCRNLFLTFVFCCS (SEQ ID NO: 13);

9) LRDLVCYCRARGCKGRERMNGTCRKGHLLYMLCCR (SEQ ID NO: 14);

10) LKQCHCRKFCRPYEKAEGSCRPGLFIKRKICCIQQWTPGRT (SEQ ID NO: 15);

11) IGRPVRRCRCRANCGPKEYATAFCAQGPFKQFKFCCT (SEQ ID NO: 16);

12) IRWPWKRCHCRSFCRPYENATSFCAQGLFKQHKFCCLDTWPPRMK (SEQ ID NO: 17);

13) TSGSQARATCYCRTGRCATRESLSGVCEISGRLYRLCCR (SEQ ID NO: 18); and

14) AFTCHCRRSCYSTEYSYGTCTNMGINHRFCCL (SEQ ID NO: 19).

Cryptdins are typically characterized by being naturally found in the epithelial cells of the small intestine, being cationic, being about 30 to about 45 amino acids in length, having at least three and, preferably, three to nine, amino acids to the N-terminal of the first cysteine residue, exhibiting specific antimicrobial activity against intestinal pathogens and opportunistic pathogens and being relatively non-toxic to cells of the host organism. However, there may be diversity in these structural and functional characteristics. The invention also provides cryptdin analogs, which are devoid of one or more amino acids N-terminal to the first cysteine. In addition, the invention also provides nucleic acid molecules encoding cryptdin peptides. For example, the invention provides genomic DNA sequences and cDNA sequences encoding mouse and rat cryptdins.

The invention further provides a method for detecting an inflammatory pathology in a subject by determining the amount of cryptdin in a biological sample from the subject and comparing that amount to the amount present in a normal subject. such a method can be used to determine the presence of an inflammatory pathology such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, malignancy, infection or ileitis.

The invention also provides a method for treating an inflammatory pathology in a subject by administering a cryptdin to the subject Such treatment is particularly advantageous in patients who are immunocompromised due, for example, to malnutrition, radiation burns, immunosuppressive infections, autoimmune disease, neonatality, bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy. A cryptdin can be administered orally, by nasogastric intubation, by transabdominal catheter, intravenously or by aerosol inhalation. When administered orally, it is preferably in a delayed release formulation designed to permit release in the small intestine The cryptdin can be administered as a composition with a physiologically acceptable medium, and more than one cryptdin can be administered simultaneously or sequentially.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides the structures of mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS.: 9 to 10, respectively) and rat cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 11). Amino acid residues are indicated by single letter code. Dashed lines are included in mouse cryptdin 4 (SEQ ID NO: 9) and rat cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO; 11) in order to pregerve the consensus sequence where these peptides are shorter than other cryptdins. Invariant residues in the enteric cryptdin peptides are boxed. Disultide bonding motifs are depicted by connecting double lines.

FIGS. 2.A. to 2.C, show chromatograms representing the purification of enteric cryptdins. Acid extract of jejunum and ileum was chromatographed in 30% acetic acid on a P-60 column. Fractions indicated by the bracket (FIG. 2.A.) were pooled and rechromatographed on the P-60 column (FIG. 2.B.). Cryptdin containing fractions (bracket, panel B) were pooled and further purified by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on 0.46×25 cm Vydac C-18 column. Water-acetonitrile gradient elution (--) using 0.13% (vol/vol) HFBA as modifier was used to purify cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively) The brackets in FIG. 2.C. indicate the peptide contained in each peak, and the portion of each which was subjected to a second round of RP-HPLC.

FIG. 3 shows acid-urea PAGE of purified enteric cryptdins. Samples of low molecular weight enteric peptides obtained by P-60 gel filtration (FIG. 2, panel B) and purified cryptdins were electrophoresed on a 12.5% acid-urea gel and stained with formalin-containing Coomassie Blue. Lane A: approximately 20 μg P-60 low molecular weight peptide fractions; lanes B-F: 1 μg each of cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10), respectively.

FIGS. 4.A. and 4.B. compare mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively) and partially purified luminal peptides.

FIG. 4.A. Lyophlized luminal lavage of small intestine from 12 mice and 20 μg protein was fractionated by P-60 gel filtration and electrophoresed on an acid-urea acrylamide gel (lane 2) along side a similarly prepared sample of bowel tissue (lane 1). The positions of cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively) are indicated.

FIG. 4.B. Partially purified luminal peptides (20 μg; as for FIG. 4.A., lane 2) were electrophoresed in a second acid-urea gel (lane 3) along with an identical sample previously treated with performic acid (lane 4). In lane 4, rapidly migrating, cyst(e)ine-containlng peptideg are absent due to the increased net negative charge resulting from the conversion of cyst (e) ines to cysteic acid residues.

FIG. 5 shows the identification of mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively) in small intestine epithelium. Acid extracts of intact, whole small intestine (w) or epithelial sheets (E) were lyophiliced, dissolved in sample solution and resolved on a 12.5% acid-urea acrylamide gel. Cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10) are identified numerically.

FIGS. 6.A. to 6.F. show the immunohistochemical localization of cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6) in small intestine. Full thickness sections of adult mouse jejunem were incubated with preimmune (FIGS. 6.A., 6.C. and 6.E.) or anti-cryptdin C rabbit IgG (FIGS. 6.B., 6.D. and 6.F.) and developed using peroxidase anti-peroxidage secondary antibody magnifications: FIGS. 6.A. and 6.B., 40X; FIGS. 6.C. and 6D., 250X; FIGS. 6.E. and 6.F., 640X.

FIGS. 7.A. and 7.B. depict the antimicrobial activity of mouse cryptain 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6). Samples of purified natural mouse cryptdin 1 (FIG. 7.A.) or rabbit NP-1 (FIG. 7.B.) were dissolved in 0.01% acetic acid and pipetted into wells produced in a 0.6, agarose/0.3% tryptone plate containing 1×10⁶ log phase bacterial cells. After incubation at 37° C. for 18 hr, antimicrobial activity was evaluated by measuring the diameters of the clear zones. Closed circles denote wild type S. typhimurium; open circles denote the phoP⁻ mutant.

FIG. 8 shows the amino acid sequences for rat cryptdins 1-3 (SEQ ID NOS: 15-17, respectively), human cryptdins 5 and 6 (SEQ ID NOS: 18 and 19; HD-5 and HD-6) and a consensus sequence (Def consensus). Also shown are the amino acids sequences for rat prepro-cryptdins 1-3 (SEQ ID NOS: 20-22) as deduced from cDNA or genomic DNA sequences as indicated.

FIGS. 9.A. and 9.B. show the amino acid sequences of mouse cryptdins 1-17 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 39, respectively) as determined from the cDNA sequences encoding the specific cryptdin.

FIG. 9.A. shows the entire amino acid sequence of the mouse cryptdins. The amino acid sequences of cryptdins 1-6 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 28) were determined by sequencing the purified peptides. The amino acid sequences of cryptdins 7-17(SEQ ID NOS: 29 to 39) were deduced from the cDNA sequences (see FIG. 10). The amino acids encoded by Exon 1, which encodes the signal peptide and propiece, and Exon 2, which encodes the mature cryptdin peptide, are indicated. A dot indicates the sequence was not encoded by the cDNA clone. “*” indicates a space, which preserves the homology of the sequences.

FIG. 9.B. indicates the degree of relatedness of the mouse cryptdins. Amino acids that are identical to the amino acid shown for cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 23) are indicated by a dot.

FIG. 10 shows the nucleic acid sequences for the cDNA sequences encoding mouse cryptdins 1-17 (SEQ ID NOS: 40 to 56, respectively). A consensus nucleotide sequence also is shown (SEQ ID NO: 57). A dot indicates the nucleotide is the same as shown for cryptdin 1. The amino acid sequence for cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 23) is shown above the nucleic acid sequence. Numbers below the nucleotide sequence indicate the nucleotide position relative to the methionine start codon (+1). Numbers above the amino acid sequence indicate the amino acid position. Italics indicate the mature cryptdin peptide sequence. Nucleotides in lower case letters indicate non-coding sequence. “***” indicates a stop codon. “(A)_(n)” indicates poly-A tail. “*” indicates a space and “-” indicates the particular nucleotide could not be determined unambiguously.

FIG. 11 shows the genomic DNA sequences for mouse cryptdins 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 (SEQ ID NOS: 58 to 62, respectively) and the genomic sequence for the apparently inactivated mouse cryptdin i gene (Crypi; SEQ ID NO: 63), in which a stop codon (TGA) is substituted for a cysteine residue. Numbering is as described in the legend to FIG. 11. The upper sequence represents a consensus cryptdin gene sequence (SEQ ID NO: 64). “X” indicates positions at which at least two sequences containing nucleotide changes. The TATAAA box is shown in lowercase italics; exons are shown in capital letters; “**” indicates intron DNA; “n” represents approximately 500 base pairs that were not sequenced. “@” indicates the start of the cryptdin peptide coding region at codon 59. Coding sequences are indicated in bold print. Prepro-regions are coded by nucleotides 1-172; cryptdin peptides are coded by nucleotidase 173-279. The stop codon is underlined.

GenBank accession numbers for these sequences are

02994 (cryptdin 1, exon 1); 002995 (cryptdin 1, exon 2);

02996 (cryptdin 2, exon 1); 002997 (cryptdin 2, exon 2);

002998 (cryptdin 3, exon 1); 002999 (cryptdin 3, exon 2);

003000 (cryptdin 5, exon 1); 003001 (cryptdin 5, exon 2);

002002 (crypdclin 6, oxon 1); 003003 (cryptdin 6, exon 2);

003004 (cryptdin i, exon 1); and 003005 (cryptdin i, exon 2).

FIGS. 12.A. to 12.C. demonstrate the effectiveness of mouse cryptdins (as indicated) in inhibiting the growth of E. coli ML35 cells in an agar diffusion assay.

FIGS. 13.A. to 13.C. demonstrate the effectiveness of mouse cryptdins (as indicated) in killing E. coli cells in suspension.

FIGS. 14.A. to 14.C. show the cDNA sequences encoding rat cryptdin 1 (FIG. 14.A.), rat cryptdin 2 (FIG. 14.B.) and rat cryptdin 3 (FIG. 14.C.). Nucleotide numbers are indicated.

FIGS. 15.A. to 15.C. show the genomic DNA sequences encoding rat cryptdin 1 (FIG. 15.A.), rat cryptdin 2 (FIG. 15.B.) and rat cryptdin 3 (FIG. 15.C.). Nucleotide numbers are indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides small peptide molecules, termed cryptdins, which express a broad range of antimicrobial activity, particularly against intestinal pathogens, and for this reason are useful antimicrobial agents. For example, cryptdins have antimicrobial activity against gram negative and gram positive bacteria. and against protozoan pathogens (see Example III). cryptdin peptides and nucleic acid sequences encoding cryptdins were isolated from the small intestine and are active within the epithelial lining of the small intestine and within the lumen of the intestine. Because it is indicative of inflammatory processes, the presence df cryptdins can be utilized in the diagnosis of a wide range of inflammatory conditions.

As uged herein, the term “cryptdin” or “enteric defensins” refers to peptides having generally between about 30 and 45 amino acids. Cryptdins are characterized, in part, by a consensus sequence containing six cysteine residues. Illustrative seaienceas are provided in FIG. 1, which shows invariant residues and the disulfide bonding motif. In addition, those residues which are preferably invariant are identified (see, also, FIGS. 8 and 9).

Cryptdins are further characterized by their a citionlc charge and their broad range of antimicrobial activity. While related to leukocyte-derived defensins, cryptdins are distinguished from these other molecules by the presence of 3 to 9 amino acids N-terminal to the first cysteine molecule. Cryptdins may have C-terminal extensions as well. In addition, they exhibit antimicrobial activity against enteric microorganisms, which can become blood-borne pathogens if the intestinal barrier is breached. Since cryptdins are associated with the secretory granules of Paneth cells in the small intestine, they can be secreted from the cells in which they are produced (Satoh, Cell Tiss. Res. 251:87-93 (1988); Satoh et al., Acta Histochem. 83:185-188 (1988)). Unlike leukocyte-derived defensins, cryptdins are not toxic to mammalian cells.

It should be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the cryptdin amino acid sequence without diminishing the antimicrobial activity of the peptide. It is intended that peptides exhibiting such modifications, including amino acid additions, deletions or substitutions are within the meaning of the term “cryptdin” and, therefore, within the scope of the invention. For example, cryptdin analogs, which are devoid of one or more amino acids N-terminal to the first cysteine residue, are within the present invention. Such cryptdin analogs can be synthesized using well known methods (see Example VI) or can be purified from the intestine where they may occur naturally due, for example, to partial proteolysis of a cryptdin peptide in the intestinal lumen.

Use of the phrase “substantially pure” in the present specification and claims as a modifier of peptide, protein or nucleic acid means that the peptize, protein or nucleic acid so designated has been separated from its in vivo cellular environment. As a result of the separation and purification, the substantially pure peptides, proteins and nucleic acids are useful in ways that the non-separated impure peptides, proteins and nucleic acids are not.

The cryptdin peptides of the present invention preferably contain between about 30 and 45 amino acids (see FIGS. 1, 8 and 9). Cryptdins can be synthesized by methods well known in the art, such as through the use of automatic peptide synthesizers or by well-known manual methods of peptide synthesis (see Example VI). In addition, they can be purified from natural sources such as small intestinal epithelium of vertebrate, preferably mammalian, origin (see Example I). Such epithelium can be obtained, for example, from rats, mice or humans using means well known to those skilled in the art.

As disclosed herein, various cryptdin peptides were isolated from intestinal epithelium, purified by chromatographic methods and characterized by electrophoresis and amino acid sequencing. Cryptdins were identified by their rapid migration on acid-urea PAGE and by their apparent molecular weight of about 4 kDa (see Examples I and II).

Anti-cryptdin antibodies were made using methods conventional in the art. For example, polyclonal antiserum can raised in appropriate animals, such as rabbits, mice or rats. Cryptdin peptides, either synthetic or obtained from natural sources, can be used to immunize the animal. As described in Example IV, a cryptdin analog, cryptdin C, which corresponds to residues 4-35 of mouse cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6) as shown in FIG. 1, was used to immunize rabbits using well known methods. Serum samples were collected until the anti-cryptdin titer was appropriate. Various fractions of the antiserum, such as IgG, can be isolated by means well known in the art. Cryptdin immunogens also can be used to obtain monoclonal antibodies using methods well known in the art (see, for example, Harlow and Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 1988), which is incorporated herein by reference).

The antimicrobial activity of a cryptdin can be measured against various pathogens. As disclosed in Example III, various microorganisms were grown to an appropriate CgQ;tntration, mixed with an appropriate medium such as an agarose-trypticase soy medium and contacted with a cryptdin. Antimicrobial activity was apparent, for example, from the clear zones that surrounded the cryptdins in an agar diffusion assay. The area of the clear 7oneg was concentration dependent (see FIG. 12).

Anti-cryptdin antibodies can be used to determine the presence of cryptdin in a biological sample such as a histological sample. For example, sections of small intestine are fixed by means well known to those skilled in the art and incubated with anti-cryptdin antibodies such as an IgG fraction of antiserum. If desired, the anti-cryptdin antibody can be detectably labeled or an appropriate detectable second antibody can be used to identify the presence of the primary antibody attached to the cryptdin. Means of detection include the use of radioactive protein A or enzyme substrates such as peroxidase (see Harlow and Lane, supra, 1988).

Alternative methods of determining the presence of cryptdin in a biological sample obtained, for example, by intestinal lavage or by disrupting cells or tissues can be useful to determine the presence of inflammatory processes. In the presence of inflammatory processes, the concentration of cryptdins is significantly altered from that found in the normal cell In particular, a deviation from the normal level of cryptdins by one to two standard deviations is indicative of an inflammatory process. Such an inflammatory process can include, for example, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, malignancy, infection or ileitis.

Because of their broad range of antimicrobial activity and their ability to function within the intestinal epithelium or lumen, cryptdins are potent therapeutic agents for infections of the intestine. In particular, cryptdins are useful where the subject is immunocompromised due, for example, to malignancy, malnutrition, chemotherapy, radiation, immunosuppressive viruses, autoimmune disease or neonatality. In addition, cryptdins are useful in surgical prophylaxis, for example, by functioning to help sterilize the small bowel. Thus, cryptdins can be useful as medicaments for treating a subject having a pathology characterized, in part, by an inflammatory process

A cryptdin, either purified from natural sources or synthetic, can be administered to a subject in need of such therapy by various means, including orally; preferably in a slow-release type formulation, which will avoid release within the stomach. Alternatively, cryptdins can be administered through nasogastric intubation, transabdominal catheter, intravenously or aerosol administration. Individual species of cryptdin can be administered alone or in combination Cryptdins administered in combination can be administered simultaneously or sequentially and can be repeated as necessary.

Prior to the characterization of a mouse intestinal defensin cDNA, expression of defensins was thought to be limited to professional phagocytes, i.e., neutrophils and macrophages. The presence of high levels of cryptdin mRNA in Paneth cells led to the hypothesis that defensins synthesized in intestinal epithelium may contribute to antimicrobial barrier function in the small bowel (Ouellette et al., J. Cell Biol. 108:1687-1695 (1989a), which is incorporated herein by reference). Isolation and characterization of six mouse cryptdin peptides, two rat cryptdin peptides and 2 human cryptdin peptides, and the demonstration of antimicrobial activity of various cryptdin peptides indicates that the cryptdins have an antimicrobial role in the gmall intestine. The immunohistochemical localization of cryptdin(s) to Paneth cells is consistent with previous in situ hybridization analysis and suggests that dtfensins produced by three cells may contribute to restricting the colonization and invasion of the small bowel by bacteria.

Initial efforts to purify intestinal defensins focused on the isolation of mouse cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6), the peptide predicted from the cryptdin oDNA sequence. Since the deduced structure of the peptide is highly cationic, intestinal peptides were solubilized by homogenizing intact mouse jejunum and ileum in 30% formic acid. Acid-urea PAGE of the crude extract revealed several bands with Rf values similar to those of rabbit defensin NP-1 and cryptdin C, a folded synthetic defensin congener corresponding to residues 4 to 35 in cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6). Peptides corresponding to these bands were purified approximately 200-fold by sequential gel filtration chromatography on Bio-Gel P-60 (FIGS. 2.A. and 2.B.). Electrophoresis of P-60 column fractions on acid-urea gels showed that five fractions eluting between two prominent peaks (FIGS. 2.A. and 2.B., brackets) contained putative cryptdin peptides (FIG. 3, lane a). Peptides in these P-60 fractions migrated with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 4 kDa on SDS-PAGE (not shown), consistent with the molecular weight of defensins. Furthermore, treatment of P-60 fraction samples with performic acid reduced the electrophoretic mobility of the five putative mouse cryptdins in acid-urea gels, behavior that is characteristic of defensins and polypeptides that contain multiple cysteine residues.

Defensins in pooled P-60 fractions were purified further using sequential rounds of RP-HPLC utilizing different ion-pair agents. Initial HPLC fractionation utilized water-acetonitrile gradients containing 0.13% heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) as the ion-pairing agent, whereby nach of the five peptides contained in the pooled P-60 fractions was resolved to near purity in a single run (FIG. 2.C.). Complete purification of five peptides, mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively), was achieved by subsequent RP-HPLC using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) (FIG. 3, lanes B-F). Assuming extraction of individual peptides is equally efficient, both acid-urea gel electrophoresis and RP-HPLC of the P-60 fractions containing putative cryptdins showed that the relative abundance of the peptides is cryptdiR 1>cryptdin 2>cryptdin 5>cryptdin 3>cryptdin 4. The relative amounts of cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NO: 6 to 10, respectively) have been qualitatively reproducible in every preparation of acid-extracted protein from mouse small intestine.

Using a modification of the method described above, mouse cryptdin 6, rat cryptdin 2, and human cryptdins 5 and 6 also were isolated (see Examples I and II; see, also, FIGS. 8 and 9). In addition, longer forms of mouse cryptdins 4 and 5 (compare SEQ ID NOS: 9 and 12; 10 and 13) and rat cryptdin 1 (compare SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 15) were obtained. This result suggests that the initial method of purifying cryptdin peptides resulted in partial degradation of the C-termini of some peptides. Significantly, both forms of the purified cryptdin peptides have antimicrobial activity.

Biochemical characterization of the isolated cryptdins demonstrated that these peptides are defensins. Amino acid analysis of each peptide showed their compositions (cationic peptides of about 30 to 45 amino acid residues, including 6 half-cysteines) are compatible with defensin-like molecules. The complete sequences of mouse cryptdins 1-6 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 28), rat cryptdins 1 and 2 (SEQ ID NOS: 11, 15 and 16) and human cryptdins 5 and 6 (SEQ ID NOS: 18 and 19) were determined by automated Edman degradation and, in some cases, by amino acid analysis of carboxyl terminal chymotryptic peptides (see FIGS. 1, 8 and 9). The primary structures of the cryptdins contain the distinctive structural features of human, rabbit, rat and guinea pig neutrophil defensins (Lehrer et al., Cell 64:229-230 (1991a), which is incorporated herein by reference), i.e., the six invariant cysteine residues and the glycine and glutamic acid in positions that are highly conserved in myeloid defensins.

The cryptdin peptides disclosed herein contain features that are unique and distinct from defensins of myeloid origin. For example, mouse cryptdins 1, 2, 3 and 6 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 25 and 28, respectively) are almost identical, differing only at two or three positions (see FIG. 9.A.). Analysis of codons from which these amino acid differenceo could arise shows that the conversion, for example, of Ser¹⁰ to Lys¹⁰ in cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 23) and cryptdin 3 (SEQ ID NO: 25), respectively, requires two nucleotide substitutions. On the other hand, single nucleotide changes in the codon encoding Thr¹⁰ in cryptdiln 2 (SEQ ID NO: 24) could give rise to cryptdins 1, 3 and 6, suggesting that the cryptdin 2 gene may be an intermediate or progenitor of the cryptdin 1, 3 and 6 genes. Similarly, a single nucleotide change in the codon for Thr¹⁰ of cryptdin 2 can account for the deduced amino acid at position 10 in cryptdins 7-17 (see FIG. 10, nucleotides 203-205; SEQ ID NOS: 46 to 56).

By homology with the structures of known myeloid defensins, the cryptdin 1 N-terminus was predicted to begin at Leu⁴ or Val⁵, which is 1-2 residues prior to the first conserved cysteine. However, compared to myeloid defensins, cryptdins have variably extended N-termini that contain from three (mouse cryptdin 4, SEQ ID NO: 26; rat cryptdin 1, SEQ ID NO: 11) to nine (human cryptdin 5, SEQ ID NO: 18) amino acids preceding the first cysteine. In mouse cryptdins 1-3 and 6-17 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 25 and 28 to 39, respectively), the N-peptidyl extensions consist of two charged internal residues flanked by amino acids with hydrophobic sidechains. Since natural variation in dofengin amino termini correlates with relative antimicrobial potency in vitro (Ganz et al., J. Clin. Invest. 76:1427-1435 (1985), which is incorporated herein by reference), the extended N-termini of enteric defensins may have evolved for a unique role in the bowel.

Mouse cryptdin 4 (SEQ ID NO: 9), the most cathodal and, apparently, least abundant mouse enteric defensin, was the first defensin found to contain a chain length variation between the fourth and fifth cysteine residues. Unlike the majority of previously known defensins, in which nine amino acids separate the fourth andl fifth cysteines (Lehrer et al., supra, 1991a), mouse cryptdin 4 (SEQ ID NO: 9) contains only six residues between the same two amino acids (FIG. 1). In addition, rat cryptdins 1-3 (SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 15-17) contain ten amino acid residues between the fourth and fifth cysteines. These findings indicate the defensin fold involving this stretch of the peptide chain can accommodate significant variability in the size of the loop, as compared to the invariant loop size defined by crystal and NMR structures, respectively, of human and rabbit neutrophil defensins. Also, rat cryptdins 1-3 (SEQ ID NOR: 11 and 15-17) are the only cryptdins containing three, instead of four, amino acid residues between the second and third cysteine residues.

Since cryptdin mRNA levels increase during postnatal development of mouse small bowel (Ouellette et al., supra, 1989a), it was investigated whether accumulation of enteric defensins was regulated similarly. Analysis of intestinal acid extracts from male and female mice showed that mouse cryptdino 1-3 and 5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 8 and 10, respectively) are present in adult mice, regardless of gender. On the other hand, extracts from 9 day-old mice lack the peptides, consistent with postnatal accumulation of cryptdin mRNA.

Mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10) were purified from intestinal epithelial cells. In the presence of EDTA, the intestinal epithelium no longer adheres to the underlying basement membrane and floats free of the lamina propria upon gentle agitation (Bjerknes and Cheng, Am. J. Anat. 160:51-63 (1981), which is incorporated herein by reference). Preparations of epithelial sheets isolated in this manner were concentrated by low speed centrifugation and extracted with 30% formic acid. Peptides extracted from isolated epithelial sheets comigrate with cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10) when analyzed by acid-urea PAGE (FIG. 5), demonstrating their epithelial origin.

Immunoperoxidase staining of full-thickness sections of small intestine with an anti-cryptdin antibody demonstrate cryptdin antigen in Paneth cells, consistent with localization of cryptdin mRNA by in situ hybridization (Ouellette et al., supra, (1989a)). Incubation of sections of adult mouse jejunum and ileum with a polyclonal anti-cryptdin IgG produced by rabbits immunized with the synthetic congener cryptdin C localized the immunoperoxidase reaction to granulated cells, morphologically defined as Paneth cells, at the base of every crypt (FIG. 6). The staining pattern accentuates the granular appearance of the cytoplasm in these cells and the immunoreactivity appears particularly strong over Paneth cell granules. The antibody is specific for mouse cryptdin(s), since it is negative both for rat and human Paneth cells (data not shown). Leukocytes in the lamina propria of the villi also were negative, suggesting that related enteric defensins are not expressed by phagocytes or lymphocytes. Because of the extensive similarity of mouse cryptdins 1-3 (FIG. 1; SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 8), the polyclonal antilody produced against cryptdin C probably recognizes the three peptides. Conversely, because mouse cryptdin 4 (SEQ ID NO: 9) and cryptdin 5 (SEQ ID NO: 10) differ markedly from the other mouse cryptdins, the anti-cryptdin C antibody is unlikely to react with cryptdin 4 (SEQ ID NO: 9) and cryptdin 5 (SEQ ID NO: 10), leaving their origin in Paneth cells somewhat unresolved.

Immunohistochemical data suggest cryptdins are secreted into the intestinal lumen. Material in the small intestinal lumen is strongly pogitive for the antibody but negative for preimmune sera or IgG (FIGS. 6.A. and 6.B.). Although the agonist for Paneth cell defensin secretion is unknown, lysozyme, another protein constituent of Paneth cell granules, is secreted into the lumen under cholinergic regulation. Consistent with immunochemical detection of anti-cryptdin C positive material in the intestinal lumen, acid-urea PAGE of saline washes of adult jejunum and ileum contain peptides with mobilities very similar to but distinct from the mobility of cryptdins (FIG. 4). Nevertheless, the peptides are not identical to cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6 to 10, respectively) by either migration in acid-urea PAGE or by HPLC analysis, suggesting they may correspond to cryptdins that have been processed further. Conceivably, luminal cryptdin or cryptdin-like material could derive from exfoliated Paneth cells in the lumen, but the low rate of Paneth cell turnover suggests this is unlikely. The release of cryptdins or processed variants into the small bowel by Paneth cells contrasts with the apparent lack of defensin secretion by leukocytes, and it is inferred that a secretory pathway may exist for the constitutive delivery of defensins into the intestinal lumen by Paneth cells.

The antibacterial activity of purified mouse cryptdins 1-5 (SEQ ID NOS: 6-10) was tested against wild type and phoP mutant S. typhimurium using a modified plate diffusion assay (Lehrer et al., J. Immunol. Methods 137:167-173 (1991b), which is incorporated herein by reference). phop is a two-component regulatory locus that is essential to S. typhimurium virulence and survival within macrophages (Fields et al., Science 243:1059-1062 (1989); Miller et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 86:5054-5058 (1989), each of which is incorporated herein by reference). Mutants in the phoP locus are particularly sensitive to rabbit defensins NP-1 and NP-2 when compared to wild type parent strains (Fields et al., supra, 1989; Miller et al., Infect. Immun. 58:3706-3710, (1990), which is incorporated herein by reference).

Under assay conditions using a phosphate buffer as described in Example III, the antimicrobial activity of rabbit defensin NP-1 against wild type and the phoP mutant organisms was quite similar (FIG. 7.B.). On the other hand, at concentrations of mouse cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6) that are effective against the attenuated mutant, wild type S. typhimurium is completely resistant to the effects of the peptide (FIG. 7.A.).

The differential activity of cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6) against avirulent S. typhimurium suggests that resistance to mucosal defensins may be important for the evolution of virulence in enteric pathogens. However, in experiments using HEPES or PIPES as buffers as described in Example III, concentrations of 100 μg/ml or 300 μg/ml cryptdin 1 were as effective as NP-1 in inhibiting the growth of wild type S. typhimurium. Furthermore, at these concentrations, cryptdins 4 and 5 were more effective than NP-1 in preventing the growth of mutant and wild type S. typhimurium (not shown).

The present invention also provides substantially purified nucleic acid sequences encoding cryptdins. For example, the cDNA sequences for mouse cryptdins 1-17 (SEQ ID NOS: 40-56) are shown in FIG. 10 and the cDNA sequences for rat cryptding 1-3 (SEQ ID NOS; 65-67) are shown in FIGS. 14.A. to 14.C. In addition, the genomic DNA sequences for mouse cryptdins 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 (SEQ ID NOS: 58-62) and for an apparently inactivated cryptdin gene, cryptdin i (SEQ ID NO: 63) are shown in FIG. 11 and the genomic DNA sequences for rat cryptdins 1-3 (SEQ ID NOS: 68-70) are shown in FIGS. 15 A. to 15.C.

The skilled artisan would recognize that various nucleotide substitutions could be made in the nucleic acid sequences shown in FIGS. 10, 11 14 and 15 without altering the amino acid sequence of the encoded cryptdin peptide due to degeneracy of the genetic code. Such nucleotide sequences, which are equivalent to the sequences shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 14 and 15 are encompassed within the claimed invention.

The invention also provides nucleotide sequences that consist of a portion of a nucleic acid sequence as shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 14 and 15. such a nucleotide sequence can be useful, for example, as a probe, which can hybridize under relatively stringent conditions to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a cryptdin peptide. For hybridization, such a nucleotide sequence should be at least about 10 nucleotides in length. One skilled in the art would know that appropriate conditions for hybridization can be determined empirically or can be calculated based, for emample, on the G:C content of the nucleotide sequence, the length of the sequence and the number of mismatches, if any, between the probe and the target sequence (see, for example, Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A laboratory manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 1989), which is incorporated herein by reference).

A nucleotide sequence as described above can be detectably labeled by attaching, for example, a radioactive label or biotin, or can be unlabeled. A labeled or unlabeled sequence also can be used as a primer for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR; see, for example, Erlich, PCR Technology: Principles and applications for DNA amplification (Stockton Press 1989), which is incorporated herein by reference). Such a sequence can be useful, for example, to identify a nucleic acid sequence encoding a cryptdin in a cell.

A nucleic acid molecule as shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 14 and 15 or a nucleotide sequence derived therefrom also can be useful, for example, for preparing a cryptdin peptide or a portion of a cryptdin peptide using well known methods of recombinant DNA technology. For example, the nucleic acid sequence can be cloned into an expression vector such as a baculovirus vector or a viral vector, which can infect a mammalian cell and express an encoded cryptdin peptide in the cell. Expression from such a vector can be useful for producing large amounts of a cryptdin, which can be used to treat a subject having an inflammatory pathology as described herein, or for producing a cryptdin directly in a subject. Thus, the invention provides vectors containing a nucleic acid molecule as shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 14 and 15 as well as specific host cells, in which the vector can propagate or can express a cryptdin.

The following examples are intended to illustrate but not limit the invention.

EXAMPLE I Purification of Enteric Defensins

Outbred Swiss mice, (Crl:CD-1) (ICR)BR, 45 day old males (30-35 g) or timed-pregnant dams, were obtained from Charles River Breeding Laboratories, Inc. (North Wilmington Mass.). In studies of newborn mice, litters were culled to 8 pups within 12 hr of delivery Mice were housed under 12 hr cycles of light and darkness and had free access to food and water.

Cryptdins were isolated by a modification of the method described by Selsted et al., J. Cell. Biol. 118:929-936 (1992); Ouellette et al., Infect. Immun. 62:5040-5057 (1994), each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Jejunal and ileal intestinal segments were excised from 60 mice immediately after carbon dioxide euthanasia. The tissue was washed and the lumen was flushed with ice cold water prior to homogenization in 500 ml ice cold 30% acetic acid. The homogenate was clarified by centrifugation, lyophilized, dissolved in 200 ml 30% acetic acid, clarified by filtration through Whatman 541 filter paper and aDDlied to a 10×60 cm Bio-Gel P-60 column equilibrated with 30% acetic acid. The elution rate was 100 ml/hr. Fractions containing cryptdins were identified by electrophoresis in acid-urea polyacrylamide gels (Selsted and Harwig, Infect. Immun. 55:2281-2285 (1987), which is incorporated herein by reference).

Cryptdin-containing fractions were pooled and lyophilized, then purification was completed by RP-HPLC. Initial separation of mouse cryptdins 2-5 was achieved by HPLC on a 1×25 cm Vydac C-18 column using a gradient of water and acetonitrile containing 0.13% HFBA. Solvents were delivered at 3 ml/min to generate the following acetonitrile gradient: 0-28% (10 min); 28-34% (20 min); and 34-40% (60 min). Cryptdins 1 and 6, which co-eluted under these conditions, were resolved by C-18 RP-HPLC using 0.1% TFA as the ion pair and a 16-21% acetonitrile gradient delivered in 35 min at 3 ml/min. To eliminate traces of residual HFBA, preparations of cryptdins 2-5 were subjected to an addition RP-HPLC step using 0.1% TFA. All peptides were lyophilized and quantitated by amino acid analysis prior to antimicrobial testing. Essentially identical methods were used to purify rat and human cryptdin peptides, except that rat cryptdins were isolated from the small intestine of adult Sprague-Dawley rats and human cryptdins were isolated from a surgically resected normal adult human male small intestine.

EXAMPLE II Peptide Characterization

Amino acid analyses were performed on 6 N HCl hydrolysates (150° C., 2 hr) of unmodified or performic acid-oxidized peptides. Hydrolysates were derivatized with phenylisothiocyanate and the resulting phenylthiocarbamyl amino acids were quantitated ag described previously (Selsted and Harwig, supra, 1987; Selsted et al., supra, 1992; Ouellette et al., FEBS Lett. 304:146-148 (1992), which is incorporated herein by reference). Peptide samples were reduced with dithiothreitol (DTT) and pyridylethylated with 4-vinyl pyridine for sequencing (Henschen, In Advanced Methods in Protein Microsequence Analysis (Wittmann-Liebold et al., pages 244-255 (1986), which is incorporated herein by reference). Sequence determinations were performed by automated Edman degradation on an ABI model 477 system (Applied Biosystems, Ince Foster City Calif.) with on-line PTH amino acid analysis. In some cases, the C-terminus of a cryptdin peptide was confirmed by amino acid analysis of chymotryptic peptiaes. Cryptdins 4 and 5 also were analyzed by positive-ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry on a VG 7070E-HF instrument (Ouellette et al., supra, 1994).

EXAMPLE III Antimicrobial Assays

Antibacterial activity was measured in an agar radial diffusion assay (Lehrer et al., supra, 1991b) using wild type S. typhimurium (ATCC 10428) or an isogenic phoP mutant of S. typhimurium (strain CS015 phoP102::Tn10d-Cam, Miller et al., supra, 1989). Cells were grown to log phase in trypticase soy broth at 37° C., harvested by centrifugation and resuspended to 1×10⁷ colony forming units (CFU) per ml in 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4).

A 100 μl aliquot of each organism was mixed with 10 ml 1% agarose in 0.03% (w/v) trypticase soy medium, 10 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.4) at 42° C. Five μl samples of peptide solution were pipetted into 3 mm diameter wells formed in the agarose with a sterile punch. After 3 hr at 37° C., the inoculated agarose plate was overlayed with 1% agarose containing 6% trypticase soy medium. After 12-16 hr, antimicrobial activity was apparent as clear zones surrounding wells loaded with antibacterial samples; the sizes of the clear zones were concentration-dependent.

Cryptdin antimicrobial activity in vitro was substantially enhanced in piperazine-N,N′-bis (2-ethane sulfonic acid) (PIPES) or in N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) as compared to the activity in sodium phosphate. Purified cryptdin peptides were dissolved at 3 to 300 μg/ml in 0.010% acetic acid and activity was examined against E. coli ML35 (ATCC). In the radial diffusion assay, 5 pl peptide solution was transferred into wells formed in plates of 1% agarose buffered with 10 mM PIPES (pH 7.4) and containing 1×10⁶ log-phase bacteria grown in trypticase soy broth. After 3 hr at 37° C., the plates were overlayed with 0.8w agarose containing 2× trypticase soy broth and incubated overnight. The antibacterial activities of cryptdin peptides was compared with the activity of rabbit neutrophil defensin NP-1, which was purified from peritoneal exudates as described by Selsted et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 260:4579-4584 (1985), which is incorporated herein by reference). Antibacterial activity was determined by measuring the diameter of learing around each well and plotted as a function of peptide concentration.

As shown in FIG. 12, each cryptdin peptide produced a doge-depAndent zone Of clearing, which indicates that E. coli growth was inhibited. The potencies of the cryptdins varied, with cryptdins 1, 3 and 6 showing similar activity, which was about 3-5× greater than the activity of cryptdin 2. Cryptdin 5 waB approximately 5× moro active than rabbit NP-1 at concentration above 100 μg/ml (FIG. 12.C.) and cryptdin 4 was at least 50× more active than NP-1 when compared at 100 μg/ml and 300 μg/ml (FIG. 12.B.). These higher concentrations of cryptdins 4 and 5 also were more effective than the same concentration of NP-1 at inhibiting the growth of S. aureus and of wild type and mutant strains of S. typhimurium (not shown). These results demonstrate that various cryptdin peptides can inhibit bacterial growth.

In order to determine whether the effect of the cryptdin peptides against E. coli is bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal, bacterial killing was quantitated as a function of time. Bactericidal asgayg were performed by incubating 1-2×10⁶ log-phase bacteria in 10 mM PIPES containing 10 μg peptide/ml. After incubation for 15 or 30 min at 37° C., aliquots were removed, serially diluted and plated on trypticase soy agar. Bactericidal activity was quantitated by counting colonies after overnight incubation at 37° C.

As shown in FIG. 13, cryptdins 1 and 3-6 rapidly killed the E. coli cells. In each of these cases, survival was reduced to less than 1k after only 15 min incubation. Cryptdin 2 was the only peptide tested that was not bactericidal under the assay condition. Cryptdins 2 and 3 differ only at amino acid position 10 (threonine and lysine, respectively).

The bactericidal activity of rat cryptdin 1 also was examined. E. coli ML35 cells, S. areus 502A cells or mutant or wild type S. typhimuruim cells were incubated with various concentrations of rat cryptdin 1 or rabbit NP-1. Ten μg/ml rat cryptdin 1 killed about 90% of the S. areus cells and greater than 99% of the E. coli and mutant S. typhimuruim cells, but was relatively ineffective in killing wild type S. typhimuruim (not shown). Rat cryptdin 1 was more effective than NP-1 in killing the E. coli and mutant S. typhimuruim cells, whereas NP-1 was more effective in killing S. areus.

The effect of mouse cryptdins 1-3 and 6 at inhibiting the growth of the protozoan, Giardia lablia, which is the most common cause of protozoan disease in the human small intestine, also was examined. Briefly, trophozoites of the C6 clone of Giardia lamblia WB (ATCC 30957) were grown to late log phase in TYI-S-33 medium containing bovine bile. Free-swimming trophozoites were discarded and tubes with attached trophozoites were refilled with warm Dulbecco's PBS. Trophozoites were detached by chilling 10 min on ice, then harvested by centrifugation, resuspended at 2×10⁷/ml in 25 mM HEPES (pH 7.5) containing 9% (isotonic) sucrose and incubated for 2 hr at 37° C. with variqou Concentrations ot mouse cryptdins 1-3 or 6. Following incubation, trophozoite viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion.

The cryptdin peptides killed Giardia trophozoites in a dose-dependent manner (not shown). In particular, 20 μg/ml of cryptdin 2 or cryptdin 3 reduced Giardia growth by greater than 2 orders of magnitude (not shown). These results indicate that cryptdins are active against a variety of microorganisms.

EXAMPLE IV Anti-cryptdin Antibody

A polyclonal rabbit antibody was prepared to a synthetic analogue of cryptdin 1. The peptide, termed cryptdin C, corresponding to residues 4-35 in cryptdin 1 (SEQ ID NO; 6; FIG. 1) was synthesized by solid phase chemistry using N-butoxycarbonyl protection (Kent, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 57:957-989 (1988), which is incorporated herein by reference). Following cleavage/deprotection of synthetic cryptdin C with TFA-trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, the peptide was precipitated in ethyl ether and dried in vacuo. A 100 mg sample was dissolved in 10 ml 6.0 M guanidine-HCl, 0.2 M Tris-HCl, pH 8.2, containing 20 mg DTT. The sample was purged with nitrogen, heated to 50° C. for 4 hr and diluted 100-fold with deionized water, then was dialyzed exhaustively, first against 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 8.2), 20 mM guanidine-HCl, 100 mM NaCl, then against 5% acetic acid. The sample was lyophilized, dissolved in 10 ml 51 acetic acid and subjected to RP-HPLC on a 1×25 cm Vydac C-18 column. The earliest eluting peak, representing about 0.5% of the crude peptide, was determined by amino acid analysis to have the desired composition.

A sample (1.5 mg) of cryptdin C was supplied, without conjugation to carrier, to Berkeley Antibody company (Berkeley, Calif.) for immunization of 2 New Zealand White rabbits. Serum samples were collected for 12 weeks, until the anti-cryptdin C titer, determined by ELISA, reached about 1:10,000 for each rabbit. IgG was isolated from antiserum using DEAR Econo-Pac chromatography (Bio-Rad; Richmond Calif.) as described by the manufacturer.

EXAMPLE V Immunohistochemistry

Paraffin sections of formalin-fixed mouse mid-small bowel were deparaffinized, treated with 1.1% hydrogen peroxide for 40 min, then washed extensively with water followed by PBS. Slides were treated for 20 min at 37° C. with 500 μg/ml trypsin in PBS, washed twice with PBS, and blocked by incubation for 20 min with 50 porcine serum. Slides were incubated for 20 min in rabbit anti-cryptdin IgG (1:10 dilution relative to serum IgG concentration), then washed with blocking serum. Porcine anti-rabbit IgG was used as linking reagent between the primary antibody and rabbit antiperoxidase-peroxidase conjugate (Dako; Carpinteria Calif.). Diaminobenzidine was used as peroxidase substrate and parallel incubations were performed using equivalent dilutions of rabbit preimmune IgG as the primary antibody.

EXAMPLE VI Preparation of Synthetic Cryotdin 1

This example provides a method for synthesizing, purifying and characterizing synthetic cryptdin 1.

A. Synthesis

Synthesis was initiated at the 0.13 mmole scale using Wang resin coupled to flourenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-arginine using an acid labile linker. Synthesis was carried out in dimethylformamide (DMF) using (relative to resin substitution) a 3-fold excess of Fmoc-amino acids activated in situ with a 3-fold excess of BOP (benzotriazol-1-yl-oxy-tris (dimethylamino) phosphonium hexafluorophosphate) and HOBt (hydroxybenzotriazole) and a 6-fold molar excess of N-methylmorpholine (Nmm). Fmoc removal during synthetic cycles was achieved using cycles of 50% and 25% piperidine in DMF. The side-chain protection scheme utilized the following Fmoc-amino acids: OtBut-aspartic acid, Pmc-arginine, tBut-tyrosine, tBut-serine, Trt-cysteine, tBoc-lysine, OtBut-glutamic acid, Trt-asparagine, tBut-threonine and Trt-histidine.

The peptide chain was assembled in a Synostat batch synthesizer using single couplings at all additions except at leucine and valine which were double coupled. The cycle sequence is as follows:

1. Wash with DMF 4× for 2 min;

2. Deblock: 50% piperidine 1× for 5 min;

3. Deblock: 25% piperidine 1× for 15 min;

4. Wash with DMF 4× for 2 min;

5. Dissolve amino acids+BOP+HOBt in DMF and transfer to reaction vessel;

6. Add Nmm to RV an d mix for 60 min; and

7. Wash with DMF 1× for 2 min.

After coupling of the amino terminal residue, the terminal Fmoc group was removed using the following cycle:

1. Wash with DMF 4× for 2 min;

2. Deblock: 50% piperidine 1× for 5 min;

3. Deblock: 25% piperidine 1× for 15 min;

4. Wash with DMF 4× for 2 min;

5. Wash with dichloromethane 1× for 5 min;

6. Wash with isopropanol 4× for 5 min;

7. Dry under stream of N₂ 1× for 10-20 min; and

8. Dry under vacuum 1× for 12 hr.

The peptide-resin was weighed to determine mass increase. To cleave and deprotect the peptide-resin, it was first reswelled in dichloromethane, then cleaved and deprotected by addition of reagent R (90% trifluoroacetic acid, 15% thioanisole, 3% ethanedithiol, 2% anisole) at a ratio of 10 ml/g peptide-resin. Cleavage/deprotection was carried out under nitrogen for 18 hr at RT.

B. Purification

The cleavage mixture was separated from resin by filtration through a scintered glass funnel, washed with 1-2 ml fresh reagent R and diluted 5-fold with 50% acetic acid. Glacial acetic acid was added to a final acetic acid concentration of 50% . The resulting solution was extracted 3× with 0.33 vol methylene chloride and the aqueous phase was lyophilized to dryness, then dissolved in 50% acetic acid and relyophilized. The extraction and lyophilization steps were repeated 3-4 times, then the dry peptide was dissolved in 30% acetic acid at a concentration of 20 mg/ml and passed over an 800 ml Sephadex G-10 column equilibrated in 30% acetic acid. Peptide-containing fractions were pooled, lyophilized, dissolved in 5% acetic acid, then diluted ten-fold with water to a final protein concentration of about 1 mg/ml. The solution was adjusted to pH 8.0 with ammonium hydroxide and mixed rapidly with a magnetic stirrer at RT in a beaker open to room air. The pH was adjusted periodically to pH 8.0 over a period of 4 days. The solution was then acidified with acetic acid to pH 3.5 and lyophilized.

C-18 RP-HPLC using 0.1% TFA-water/acetonitrile gradients was used to purify the folded peptide. Fractions were analyzed on acid-urea gels and compared to natural cryptdin 1. The yield from an initial crude pgptide apreparation of 500 mg was approximately 30 mg.

C. Characterization

Synthetic cryptdin 1 was compared to natural peptide on analytical RP-HPLC, SDS-PAGE and under three different conditions on acid-urea PAGE. For analysis on acid-urea PAGE, peptide was electrophoresed either without modification, after reduction with DTT or after performic acid oxidation. Under all conditions described, native and synthetic cryptdin 1 behaved identically. The amino acid compositions of natural and synthetic cryptdin 1 were indistinguishable.

EXAMPLE VII Cloning of Nucleic Acid Molecules Encoding Cryptdins

Individual crypts were isolated using a modification of the EDTA elution method of Bjerknes and Cheng, supra, 1981, as described by Cano-Gauci et al., Expt. Cell Res. 208:344-349 (1993), which is incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, the central 10 cm of small intestine from an adult C3H/HeJ mouse was everted on a Buchler gradient-making apparatus, then intact crypts were dislodged by vibration in ice cold 30 mM EDTA in calcium-free, magnesium-free PBS. Isolated crypts were disrupted in a sonicating water bath prior to cDNA synthesis.

The crypt library was constructed by mRNA-directed PCR amplification (Cano-Gauci et al., supra, 1992). Phage were screened at a density of approximately 300 PFU/dish using the partial cDNA clone, asb4/134, as a probe (Ouellette et al., supra, 1989a). Positive phage were collected and denatured plasmid cDNA was sequenced by the dideoxynucleotide termination method using Sequenase™ (U.S. Biochemical Corp.; Cleveland Ohio). Sequencing primers included T3 and T7 promoter primers and Defcr_(p130), which is a 16-mer that corresponds to nucleotides 90-105 in cryptdin 1 mRNA (Huttner et al., Genomics 19: 448-453 (1994), which is incorporated herein by reference). Reaction mixtures were separated by electrophoresis in gels consisting of 5% Long Ranger™ (AT Biochem, Inc.; Malvern Pa.) and DNA sequence data were analyzed (Ouellette et al., supra, 1994). Computations for similarity searches of DNA sequences in nonredundant nucleic acid and protein sequence databases were performed at the National Center for Biotechnology Information with the BLAST network service (Ouellette et al., supra, 1994).

A cDNA library also was prepared by amplification of cryptdin mRNA (Huttner et al., supra, 1994). Total RNA was isolated from the small intestine of a male 129/SVJ mouse using RNaZOl™ (Biotecx Lab; Houston Tex.). First strand cDNA synthesis was performed using the cDNA Cycle Kit (Invitrogen; San Diego Calif.). Amplification of 5′ ends was performed using the 5′ RACE method (Frohman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:8998-9002 (1988), which is incorporated herein by reference) with a reverse primer that was specific for a conserved region of the cryptdin 3'-untranslated sequence (UTS).

Blot hybridization of the PCI products using an oligonucleotide probe specific for the cryptdin preprocoding region detected a single band. DNA from the band was Isolated using the Geneclean II™ kit (Biolol; La Jolla Calif.) subcloned into the Bluescript II plasmid using the pCR-Script SK(+) cloning kit (Stratagene) and transfected into competent XL-1 Blue cells (Stratagene). Colonies containing cryptdin-related sequences were identified by hybridization to a labeled asb4/134 probe. DNA sequence analysis of the positive clones was performed as described above, except that internal primers were utilized as required.

Using these methods, cDNA sequences encoding 17 distinct mouse cryptdin peptides were identified (FIG. 10; SEQ ID NOS: 40-56). The various mouse cryptdin cDNA sequences share 93-100% nucleotide sequence identity with cryptdin 1, except cryptdin 5 and cryptdin 4 share 73% and 69% sequence identity, respectively, with cryptdin 1.

The amino acid sequencek were deduced from the cDNA sequences for the 17 mouse cryptdins (see FIG. 9.A.; SEQ ID NOS: 23 to 39). As shown in FIG. 9.A., the cDNA sequences encode ptprto-cryptdin peptides consisting of a signal peptide, a propiece and the cryptdin peptide. The prepro-cryptdins, including the mature cryptdin peptide, share signif icant amino acid sequence identity with cryptdin 1, although cryptdins 4 and 5 are less homologous (FIG. 9.B.). Amino acid variability was most striking at position 10 of the mature cryptdin peptide, where either serine, threonine, alanine, isoleucine or lysine can be found. Interestingly, a single nucleotide change in the sequence of cryptdin 2 can account for each of these amino acids. In addition, position 15 can contain arginine or lysine. The amino acid variability among cryptdin peptides can be involved in conferring different antimicrobial properties to the cryptdins.

Mouse cryptdin genomic clones also were obtained and sequenced (Huttner et al., supra, 1994). Asb4/134 was used as a probe to screen a custom-made 129/SVJ mouse genomic library constructed in lambda DASH II (Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc.; La Jolla Calif.). Approximately 1×10⁶ phage were screened in duplicate and 25 positive phage were identified. Ten clones were purified and phage DNA was isolated using Qiagen 100 columns (Qiagen, Inc.; Chatsworth Calif.). Southern blots of Eco RI-digested DNA from individual phage were hybridized to asb4/134 and hybridizing fragments m were subcloned into Bluescript II SK™ (Stratagene) or pUC18 (BRL; Gaithersburg Md.) for sequencing.

Sequencing was performed as described above, except that primers were selected based on the cryptdin 1 cDNA sequence and with the expectation that mouse cryptdin genes would be structurally homologous to the rabbit MCP-1 and MCP-2 defensin genes (see Huttner et al., supra, 1994). DNA sequence data were analyzed using the programs of Staden (Biochem. Soc. Trans. 12:1005-1008 (1984) and the University of Wisconsin Genetics Computer Group (Devereux et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 12:387-395 (1985)). Searches for homology were performed as described above.

As shown in FIG. 11, screening of the genomic library produced nucleic acid sequences that contained the complete coding sequences for mouse cryptdins 1, 2, 3, 5 and (SEQ ID NOS: 58-62) In addition, a homologous gene, designated cryptdin i (Crypi; SEQ ID NO: 63), which apparently was inactivated due to a point mutation that changed a cysteine codon to an in-frame stop codon, was isolated. Examination of the nucleic acid sequences revealed that the cryptdin genes contain two exons, the first of which codes for the 5′-UTS and the prepro-coding region and the second of which encodes the mature cryptdin peptide and the 3′-UTS (not shown; but see FIG. 11.A.). A similar structure has been described for the human cryptdin genes (Jones and Bevins, J. Biol. Chem. 267:23216-23225 (1992)).

Similar methods as described above were used to obtain the cDNA sequences encoding rat cryptdins 1-3 (FIGS. 14.A. to 14.C.; SEQ ID NOS: 65-67, respectively), except that RNA was obtained from the small intestine of Sprague-Dawley rats. In addition, genomic DNA sequences encoding rat cryptdins 1-3 (FIGS. 15.A. to 15.C.; SEQ ID NOS: 68-70, respectively) were obtained using methods as described above, except that a genomic library containing Sprague-Dawley DNA cloned in EMBL3 was purchased from Clontech (Palo Alto Calif.).

Although the invention has been described with reference to the disclosed embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.

70 4 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 1 Leu Ser Lys Lys 1 6 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 2 Gly Ile Arg Phe Leu Tyr 1 5 9 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 3 Arg Asn Leu Phe Leu Thr Phe Val Phe 1 5 9 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 4 Arg Arg Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu 1 5 9 amino acids amino acid linear not provided Peptide /note= “Xaa = Amino acid is independently L or M.” Peptide /note= “Xaa = Amino acid is independently L or M” 5 Arg Lys Gly His Leu Xaa Tyr Thr Xaa 1 5 35 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 6 Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Ser Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg 1 5 10 15 Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Thr Leu 20 25 30 Cys Cys Arg 35 35 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 7 Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Thr Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg 1 5 10 15 Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu 20 25 30 Cys Cys Arg 35 35 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 8 Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg 1 5 10 15 Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu 20 25 30 Cys Cys Arg 35 31 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 9 Gly Leu Leu Cys Tyr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Cys Lys Arg Gly Glu Arg 1 5 10 15 Val Arg Gly Thr Cys Gly Ile Arg Phe Leu Tyr Cys Cys Pro Arg 20 25 30 35 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 10 Leu Ser Lys Lys Leu Ile Cys Tyr Cys Arg Ile Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg 1 5 10 15 Arg Glu Arg Val Phe Gly Thr Cys Arg Asn Leu Phe Leu Thr Phe Val 20 25 30 Phe Cys Cys 35 39 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 11 Leu Lys Gln Cys His Cys Arg Lys Phe Cys Arg Pro Tyr Glu Lys Ala 1 5 10 15 Glu Gly Ser Cys Arg Pro Gly Leu Phe Ile Lys Arg Lys Ile Cys Cys 20 25 30 Ile Gln Gln Trp Thr Pro Gly 35 32 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 12 Gly Leu Leu Cys Tyr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Cys Lys Arg Gly Glu Arg 1 5 10 15 Val Arg Gly Thr Cys Gly Ile Arg Phe Leu Tyr Cys Cys Pro Arg Arg 20 25 30 36 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 13 Leu Ser Lys Lys Leu Ile Cys Tyr Cys Arg Ile Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg 1 5 10 15 Arg Glu Arg Val Phe Gly Thr Cys Arg Asn Leu Phe Leu Thr Phe Val 20 25 30 Phe Cys Cys Ser 35 35 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 14 Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg 1 5 10 15 Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Met Leu 20 25 30 Cys Cys Arg 35 41 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 15 Leu Lys Gln Cys His Cys Arg Lys Phe Cys Arg Pro Tyr Glu Lys Ala 1 5 10 15 Glu Gly Ser Cys Arg Pro Gly Leu Phe Ile Lys Arg Lys Ile Cys Cys 20 25 30 Ile Gln Gln Trp Thr Pro Gly Arg Thr 35 40 37 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 16 Ile Gly Arg Pro Val Arg Arg Cys Arg Cys Arg Ala Asn Cys Gly Pro 1 5 10 15 Lys Glu Tyr Ala Thr Ala Phe Cys Ala Gln Gly Pro Phe Lys Gln Phe 20 25 30 Lys Phe Cys Cys Thr 35 45 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 17 Ile Arg Trp Pro Trp Lys Arg Cys His Cys Arg Ser Phe Cys Arg Pro 1 5 10 15 Tyr Glu Asn Ala Thr Ser Phe Cys Ala Gln Gly Leu Phe Lys Gln His 20 25 30 Lys Phe Cys Cys Leu Asp Thr Trp Pro Pro Arg Met Lys 35 40 45 39 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 18 Thr Ser Gly Ser Gln Ala Arg Ala Thr Cys Tyr Cys Arg Thr Gly Arg 1 5 10 15 Cys Ala Thr Arg Glu Ser Leu Ser Gly Val Cys Glu Ile Ser Gly Arg 20 25 30 Leu Tyr Arg Leu Cys Cys Arg 35 32 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 19 Ala Phe Thr Cys His Cys Arg Arg Ser Cys Tyr Ser Thr Glu Tyr Ser 1 5 10 15 Tyr Gly Thr Cys Thr Val Met Gly Ile Asn His Arg Phe Cys Cys Leu 20 25 30 103 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 20 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Glu Ala Glu Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Ala Asp Glu Asp Gln Asp Val Ser Val Ser Phe Glu Gly 35 40 45 Pro Glu Pro Ser Ala Leu Gln Asn Leu Glu Ile Gly Trp Pro Leu Lys 50 55 60 Gln Cys His Cys Arg Lys Phe Cys Arg Pro Tyr Glu Lys Ala Glu Gly 65 70 75 80 Ser Cys Arg Pro Gly Leu Phe Ile Lys Arg Lys Ile Cys Cys Ile Gln 85 90 95 Gln Trp Thr Pro Gly Arg Thr 100 96 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 21 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Val Ala Tyr Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Gly Ala Glu Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Ser Asp Glu Asp Gln Asp Val Ser Val Ser Phe Glu Gly 35 40 45 Pro Glu Ala Ser Ala Leu Gln Asp Phe Glu Ile Gly Arg Pro Val Arg 50 55 60 Arg Cys Arg Cys Arg Ala Asn Cys Gly Pro Lys Glu Tyr Ala Thr Ala 65 70 75 80 Phe Cys Ala Gln Gly Pro Phe Lys Gln Phe Lys Arg Phe Cys Cys Thr 85 90 95 103 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 22 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Ile Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Glu Ala Glu Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Ala Asp Glu Asp Gln Asp Val Ser Val Ser Phe Glu Gly 35 40 45 Pro Glu Pro Ser Ala Leu Gln Asn Leu Glu Ile Arg Trp Pro Trp Lys 50 55 60 Arg Cys His Cys Arg Ser Phe Cys Arg Pro Tyr Glu Asn Ala Thr Ser 65 70 75 80 Phe Cys Ala Gln Gly Leu Phe Lys Gln His Lys Phe Cys Cys Leu Asp 85 90 95 Thr Trp Pro Pro Arg Met Lys 100 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 23 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Ser Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 24 Met Lys Thr Leu Ile Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Lys Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Thr Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 25 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 92 amino acids amino acid linear not provided Peptide 79 /note= “Xaa = Amino acid is independently L or M.” Peptide 80 /note= “Xaa = Amino acid is independently L or M.” Peptide 82 /note= “Xaa = Amino acid is independently L or M.” 26 Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln Val Gln Ala 1 5 10 15 Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu Gln Pro 20 25 30 Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Ile Ser Phe Gly Gly Gln Glu Gly 35 40 45 Ser Ala Leu His Glu Lys Ser Leu Arg Gly Leu Leu Cys Tyr Cys Arg 50 55 60 Lys Gly His Cys Lys Arg Gly Glu Arg Val Arg Gly Thr Cys Xaa Xaa 65 70 75 80 Gly Xaa Ile Arg Phe Leu Tyr Cys Cys Pro Arg Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 27 Met Lys Thr Phe Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile His Lys Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Asn Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Ile Ser Phe Gly Gly 35 40 45 Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Leu His Glu Glu Leu Ser Lys Lys Leu Ile Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Ile Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu Arg Val Phe Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Asn Leu Phe Leu Thr Phe Val Phe Cys Cys Ser 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 28 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Met Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 29 Met Lys Thr Leu Ile Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Thr Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu His Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 30 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu His Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Met Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 81 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 31 Leu Ala Phe Gln Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu 1 5 10 15 Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val 20 25 30 Ser Phe Gly Asp Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg 35 40 45 Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu His 50 55 60 Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys 65 70 75 80 Arg 92 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 32 Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln Val 1 5 10 15 Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu 20 25 30 Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp Pro 35 40 45 Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr 50 55 60 Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys 65 70 75 80 Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 85 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 33 Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn 1 5 10 15 Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln 20 25 30 Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu 35 40 45 Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Ser Arg Gly Cys Lys 50 55 60 Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr 65 70 75 80 Met Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 34 Met Lys Thr Leu Ile Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 35 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu His Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Arg Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 85 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 36 Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn 1 5 10 15 Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln 20 25 30 Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu 35 40 45 Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Thr Arg Gly Cys Lys 50 55 60 Arg Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met His 65 70 75 80 Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 37 Met Lys Thr Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Asp Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Ser Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu His Ile Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Met Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 93 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 38 Met Lys Thr Leu Ile Leu Leu Ser Ala Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln 1 5 10 15 Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu 20 25 30 Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser Val Ser Phe Gly Asp 35 40 45 Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu Arg Asp Leu Val Cys 50 55 60 Tyr Cys Arg Ser Arg Gly Cys Lys Gly Arg Glu Arg Met Asn Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Met Tyr Thr Leu Cys Cys Arg 85 90 82 amino acids amino acid linear not provided 39 Leu Leu Ala Phe Gln Val Gln Ala Asp Pro Ile Gln Asn Thr Asp Glu 1 5 10 15 Glu Thr Lys Thr Glu Glu Gln Pro Gly Glu Glu Asp Gln Ala Val Ser 20 25 30 Val Ser Phe Gly Asp Pro Glu Gly Thr Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Ser Leu 35 40 45 Arg Asp Leu Val Cys Tyr Cys Arg Lys Arg Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Glu 50 55 60 His Met Asn Gly Thr Cys Arg Lys Gly His Leu Leu Tyr Thr Leu Cys 65 70 75 80 Cys Arg 422 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 40 ACACATTGAG CTCCTGCTCA CCAATCCTCC AGGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAGTC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTTGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGACG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC 180 TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCAC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT 240 TGTAGATCAA GAGGCTGCAA AGGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT 300 TTATTGTACA CGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ACGAACATGA 360 GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG TTCGCAATAT 420 GC 422 422 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 41 ACACACTGAG CCGCTACTCA CCAATCCTCC AGGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAATC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAATACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA GAAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC 180 TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCTC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT 240 TGTAGAACAA GAGGCTGCAA AAGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT 300 TTAATGTACA CGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ATGACCATGA 360 GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG CTTGCAATAT 420 GC 422 422 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 42 ACACATTGGG CTCCTGCTCA CCAATCCTCC AGGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAGTC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGACG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC 180 TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCTC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT 240 TGTAGAAAAA GAGGCTGCAA AAGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT 300 TTAATGTACA CACTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ACGAACATGA 360 GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG TTCGCAATAT 420 GC 422 365 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 43 ACTAGTCCTC CTCTCTGCCC TCGTCCTGCT GGCCTTCCAG GTCCAGGCTG ATCCTATCCA 60 AAATACAGAT GAAGAGACTA AAACTGAGGA GCAGCCAGGG GAAGAGGACC AGGCCGTATC 120 TGTCTCCTTT GGAGACCCAG AAGGCTCTGC TCTTCATGAA AAATCTTTGA GAGGTTTGTT 180 ATGCTATTGT AGAAAAGGAC ACTGCAAAAG AGGAGAACGA GTTCGTGGGA CTTGTGGAAT 240 ACGATTTTTG TACTGCTGCC CCCGCCGCTG AACATGCAGA TGACAAAGAT ATGACAACCA 300 TTGTCTCTGA GGCCGCTGAT GCCGGGGCCT GATGACCACT TCTCAAGAAA TGTTTGCAAT 360 ATGCA 365 421 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 44 ACACATTGGG CTCCTGCTCA CCAATTCTCC AGGTGACCCC CAGCCATGAA GACATTTGTC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTTGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCACAAAACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAATACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTATCTCC 180 TTTGGAGGCC AAGAAGGGTC TGCTCTTCAT GAGGAATTGT CAAAAAAGCT GATATGCTAT 240 TGTAGAATAA GAGGCTGCAA AAGAAGAGAA CGCGTTTTTG GGACCTGCAG AAATCTTTTT 300 TTAACTTTCG TATTCTGCTG CAGCTGAATA TGCAGATGAC AAAGATATGA CAACCATCAG 360 CACTGAGGCC ACTGATGCTG GGGTCTGATG ATCACCTCGC AATAAATTGT TCGCAATATG 420 C 421 422 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 45 ACACACTGAG CTGCTACTCA CCAATCCTCC AGGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAATC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAATACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC 180 TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCAC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCAT TGAGATATCT GGTATGCTAT 240 TGTAGAGCAA GAGGCTGCAA AGGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT 300 TTATTGTACA TGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCTC AGAGAACAAG ACGACCATGA 360 GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATACATTG TTCGCAATAT 420 GC 422 420 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 46 ACACTGAGCT GCTACTCACC AATCCTCCAG GTGACTCCCA GCCATGAAGA CACTAATCCT 60 CCTCTCTGCC CTCGTCCTGC TGGCCTTCCA GGTCCAGGCT GATCCTATCC AAAACACAGA 120 TGAAGAGACT AAAACTGAGG AGCAGCCAGG GGAAGACGAC CAGGCCGTAT CTGTCTCCTT 180 TGGAGACCCA GAAGGCTCTT CTCTTCAAGA GGAATCGTTG AGAGATCTGG TATGCTATTG 240 TAGAACAAGA GGCTGCAAAA GAAGAGAACA CATGAATGGG ACCTGCAGAA AGGGTCATTT 300 AATGTACACG CTCTGCTGTC GCTGAACATG GAGACCTCAG AGAACAAGAC GACCATGAGT 360 ACTGAGGCCA CTGATGCTGG TGCCTGATGA CCACTTCGCA ATAAATTGTT CGCAATATGC 420 342 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 47 GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA 60 GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGACG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCTC 120 TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT TGTAGAAAAA GAGGCTGCAA 180 AAGAAGAGAA CACATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT TTAATGTACA CGCTCTGCTG 240 TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ACAAGCATGA GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT 300 GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG TTCGCAATAT GC 342 377 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 48 ATGAAGACAC TAGTCCTCCT CTCTGCCCTC GTCCTGCTGG CCTTCCAGGT CCAGGCTGAT 60 CCTATCCAAA ACACAGATGA AGAGACTAAA ACTGAGGAGC AGCCAGGGGA AGAGGACCAG 120 GCCGTATCTG TCTCCTTTGG AGACCCAGAA GGCTCTTCTC TTCAAGAGGA ATCGTTGAGA 180 GATCTGGTAT GCTATTGTAG AAAAAGAGGC TGCAAAAGAA GAGAACACAT GAATGGGACC 240 TGCAGAAAGG GTCATTTATT GTACATGCTC TGCTGTCGCT GAACATGGAG ACCACAGAGG 300 ACAAGATGAA CATGAGTACT GAGGCCACTG ATGCTGGTGC CTGATGACCA CTTCGCAATA 360 AATTGTTCGC AATATGC 377 375 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 49 GAAGACACTA GTCCTCCTCT CTGCCCTCGT CCTGCTGGCC TTCCAGGTCC AGGCTGATCC 60 TATCCAAAAC ACAGATGAAG AGACTAAAAC TGAGGAGCAG CCAGGGGAAG ACGACCAGGC 120 CGTATCTGTC TCCTTTGGAG ACCCAGAAGG CTCTTCTCTT CAAGAGGAAT CGTTGAGAGA 180 TCTGGTATGC TATTGTAGAA AAAGAGGCTG CAAAGGAAGA GAACGCATGA ATGGAACCTG 240 CAGAAAGGGT CATTTATTGT ACACGCTCTG CTGTCGCTGA ACATGGAGAC CACAGAGGAC 300 AAGACGAACA TGAGTACTGA GGCCACTGAT GCTGGTGCCT GATGACCACT TCGCAATAAA 360 TTGTTCGCAA TATGC 375 352 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 50 CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA GATGAAGAGA 60 CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC TTTGGAGACC 120 CAGAAGGCAC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT TGTAGATCAA 180 GAGGCTGCAA AGGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GAACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT TTATTGTACA 240 TGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGAACAAG ACGACCATGA GTACTGAGGC 300 CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATACATTG TTCGCAATAT GC 352 422 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 51 ACACATTGGG CTCCTGCTCA CCAATCCTCC AGGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAGTC 60 CTCCTCTCTG CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA 120 GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC 180 TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCAC TTCTCTCCAA GAGGAATAGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT 240 TGTAGAGCAA GAGGCTGCAA AGGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT 300 TTAATGTACA CGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCTC AGAGAACAAG ACGACCATGA 360 GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG TTCGCAATAT 420 GC 422 388 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 52 GACTCCCAGC CATGAAGACA CTAGTCCTCC TCTCTGCCCT TGTCCTGCTG GCCTTCCAGG 60 TCCAGGCTGA TCCTATCCAA AACACAGATG AAGAGACTAA AACTGAGGAG CAGCCAGGAG 120 AAGAGGACCA GGCCGTATCT GTCTCCTTTG GAGACCCAGA AGGCACTTCT CTTCAAGAGG 180 AATCGTTGAG AGATCTGGTA TGCTATTGTA GAAAAAGAGG CTGCAAAAGA AGAGAACACA 240 TGAATGGGAC CTGCAGAAGG GGTCATTTAA TGTACACACT CTGCTGTCGC TGAACATGGA 300 GACCACAGAG GACAAGACGA ACATGAGTAC TGAGGCCACT GATGCTGGTG CCTGATGACC 360 ACCTCGCAAT AAATTGTTCG CAATATGC 388 352 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 53 CCCTCGTCCT GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA GATGAAGAGA 60 CTAAAACTGA GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC TTTGGAGACC 120 CAGAAGGCTC TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT TGTAGAACAA 180 GAGGCTGCAA AAGAAGAGAA CGCATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT TTAATGCACA 240 CGCTCTGCTG TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ACGAGCATGA GTACTGAGGC 300 CACTGATGCT GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTTCG CAATAAATTG TTCGCAAAAT GC 352 401 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 54 CCAATCCTCC CAGTGACTCC CAGCCATGAA GACACTAGTC CTCCTCTCTG CCCTTGTCCT 60 GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAACACA GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA 120 GGAGCAGCCA GGGGAAGACG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCTC 180 TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT TGTAGAAAAA GAGGCTGCAA 240 AAGAAGAGAA CACATAAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT TTATTGTACA CTCTCTGCTG 300 TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ATGACCATGA GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT 360 GGTGCCTGAT GACCACTCGC AATAAATTGT TCGCAATATG C 401 391 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 55 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTAATCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTCGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 60 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAACACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 120 GAGAAGAGGA CCAGGCCGTA TCTGTCTCCT TTGGAGACCC AGAAGGCACT TCTCTTCAAG 180 AGGAATCGTT GAGAGATCTG GTATGCTATT GTAGATCAAG AGGCTGCAAA GGAAGAGAAC 240 GCATGAATGG GACCTGCAGA AAGGGTCATT TAATGTACAC GCTCTGCTGT CGCTGAACAT 300 GGAGACCTCA GAGAACAAGA CGACCATGAG TACTGAGGCC ACTGATGCTG GTGCCTGATG 360 ACCACTTCGC AATAAATTGT TCGCAATATG C 391 342 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 56 GCTGGCCTTC CAGGTCCAGG CTGATCCTAT CCAAAATACA GATGAAGAGA CTAAAACTGA 60 GGAGCAGCCA GGAGAAGAGG ACCAGGCCGT ATCTGTCTCC TTTGGAGACC CAGAAGGCAC 120 TTCTCTTCAA GAGGAATCGT TGAGAGATCT GGTATGCTAT TGTAGAAAAA GAGGCTGCAA 180 AAGAAGAGAA CACATGAATG GGACCTGCAG AAAGGGTCAT TTATTGTACA CGCTCTGCTG 240 TCGCTGAACA TGGAGACCAC AGAGGACAAG ATGACCATGA GTACTGAGGC CACTGATGCT 300 GGTGCCTGAT GACCACCTCG CAATAAATTG CTTGCAATAT GC 342 403 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 57 ACACATGGCT CTCTCACCAA TCCTCCAGGT GACTCCCAGC CATGAAGACA CTAGTCCTCC 60 TCTCTGCCTG TCCTGCTGGC CTTCCAGGTC CAGGCTGATC CTATCCAAAA CACAGATGAA 120 GAGACTAAAA CTGAGGAGCA GCCAGGGGAA GAGACCAGGC TGTGTCTGTC TCTTTTGGAG 180 ACCCAGAAGG CCTTCTCTTC AAGAGGAATC GTTGAGAGAT CTGGTATGCT ATTGTAGAAA 240 GAGGCTGCAA AGAAGAGAAC CATGAATGGG ACCTGCAGAA AGGGTCATTT ATGTACAGCT 300 CTGCTGTCGC TGAACATGGA GACCCAGAGA CAAGAACATG AGTACTGAGG CCACTGATGC 360 TGGTGCCTGA TGACCACTTC TCAATAAATT GTTCGCAATA TGC 403 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 58 TATAAATGCA GGCTGGATAT TCACTGTCCA CACATTGAGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATCCTCCA 60 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTAGTCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTTGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAACACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GAGAAGAGGA CCAGGCCGTA TCTGTCTCCT TTGGAGACCC AGAAGGCACT TCTCTTCAAG 240 AGGAATGTGA GTACTGGTGT CCAGAGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTATCTCCAG 300 CGTTGAGAGA TCTGGTATGC TATTGTAGAT CAAGAGGCTG CAAAGGAAGA GAACGCATGA 360 ATGGAACCTG CAGAAAGGGT CATTTATTGT ACACGCTCTG CTGTCGCTGA ACATGGAGA 419 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 59 TATAAATGCA GACTGGCTCC TCACTCTCCA CACATTGGGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATCCTCCC 60 AGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG CCACTTGTCC TCCTTTCTGC CCTTGTCCTA CTGTCCTTTC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAACACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGTCAG 180 GTGAAGAGGA CCAGGCTGTG TCTGTCTCCT TTGGAGACCG AGAAGGCGCT TCTCTTCAAG 240 AAGAATGTGA GTACTGGTGC CCAGTGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTGTCTCCAG 300 CGTTGAGAGA TCTGGTATGC TATTGTAGAA CAAGAGGTTG CAAAAGAAGA GAACGCATGA 360 ATGGGACCTG CAGAAAGGGT CATTTAATGT ACACGCTCTG CTGCCGCTGA ACATGGAGA 419 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 60 TATAAATGCA GGCTGGATAT TCACTCTCCA CACATTGGGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATCCTCCA 60 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTAGTCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTCGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAACACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GGGAAGACGA CCAGGCTGTG TCTGTCTCTT TTGGAGACCC AGAAGGCTCT TCTCTTCAAG 240 AGGAATGTGA GTATTGGTGT CCTGTGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTGTCTCCAG 300 CGTTGAGAGA TCTGGTATGC TATTGTAGAA AAAGAGGCTG CAAAAGAAGA GAACGCATGA 360 ATGGGACCTG CAGAAAGGGT CATTTAATGT ACACACTCTG CTGTCGCTGA ACATGGAGA 419 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 61 TATAAATGCA AGTTGGCTAC TCACTCTCCA CACATTGGGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATTCTCCA 60 GGTGACCCCC AGCCATGAAG ACATTTGTCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTTGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CACAAAACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAATACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GGGAAGAGGA CCAGGCTGTG TCAGTCTCCT TTGGAGGCCA AGAAGGGTCT GCTCTTCATG 240 AAGAATGTGA GTAGTGGTAC GCAGTGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTGTCTCCAG 300 TGTCAAAAAA GCTGATATGC TATTGTAGAA TAAGAGGCTG CAAAAGAAGA GAACGCGTTT 360 TTGGGACCTG CAGAAATCTT TTTTTAACTT TCGTATTCTG CTGTAGCTGA ATATGCAGA 419 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 62 TATAAATGCA GGCTGGATAT TCACTCTCCA CACACTGAGC TGCTACTCAC CAATCCTCCA 60 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTAATCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTCGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAATACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GGGAAGAGGA CCAGGCTGTG TCTGTCTCTT TTGGAGACCC AGAAGGCACT TCTCTTCAAG 240 AGGAATGTGA GTACTGGTGT CCAGTGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTGTCTCCAG 300 CATTGAGAGA TCTGGTATGC TATTGTAGAG CAAGAGGCTG CAAAGGAAGA GAACGCATGA 360 ATGGGACCTG CAGAAAGGGT CATTTATTGT ACATGCTCTG CTGTCGCTGA ACATGGAGA 419 419 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided misc_feature 279..286 /note= “N represents DNA that was not sequenced.” 63 ACTTGAGGGT AACAGCCTCT CCCAATTCCA CACATTGAGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATCCTCCA 60 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTAGTCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTTGCCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AAGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAACACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GGAAAGAAGA CCAAGCTGTT TCTGTCTCCT TTGGAGACCC AGAAGGCTCT TCTCTTCAAG 240 AGGAATGTGA GTACTGGTGC CCAGTGTGAT GGATGCTTNN NNNNNNTTTT GTGTCTCCAG 300 CGTTGAGAGA TCTGATATGA TATTGTAGAA CAAGAGGCTG CAAAAGAAGA GAACGCCTGA 360 ATGGGACCTG AAGAAAGGGT CATTTATTGT ACATGCTCTG CTGCTGCTGA ACATGGAGA 419 411 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 64 TATAAATGCA RRCTGGMTMY TCACTNTCCA CACATTGRGC TCCTGCTCAC CAATCCTCCA 60 GGTGACTCCC AGCCATGAAG ACACTWGTCC TCCTCTCTGC CCTYGTCCTG CTGGCCTTCC 120 AGGTCCAGGC TGATCCTATC CAAAAHACAG ATGAAGAGAC TAAAACTGAG GAGCAGCCAG 180 GDGAAGARGA CCAGGCTGTD TCTGTCTCYT TTGGAGACCV AGAAGGCDCT TCTCTTCAAG 240 ARGAATGTGA GTABTGGTGY CCAGTGTGAT GGATGCTTTT TTGTGTCTCC AGCGTTGAGA 300 GATCTGRTAT GCTATTGTAG ADHAAGAGGC TGCAAARGAA GAGAACGCVT GAATGGGACC 360 TGCAGAAAGG GTCATTTAWT GTACANNCTC TGCTGYRGCT GAACATGGAG A 411 445 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 65 ACACTGGTCT CCAGCTCACC AATCCTCCAG GTGACTTCCA GCCATGAAGA CTCTTGTCCT 60 CCTCTCTGCC CTTGTCCTGC TGGCATTCCA GGTCCAGGCT GATCCCATTC AAGAGGCAGA 120 AGAAGAGACT AAAACTGAGG AGCAGCCAGC AGATGAGGAC CAGGATGTGT CTGTCTCCTT 180 TGAAGGCCCA GAACCCTCTG CTCTTCAAAA TTTAGAGATA GGATGGCCAT TAAAGCAGTG 240 CCATTGCCGA AAGTTCTGCA GACCTTATGA AAAGGCCGAG GGGTCCTGTC GTCCAGGTCT 300 ATTTATAAAA CGCAAAATCT GCTGCATACA ACAATGGACA CCAGGGAGGA CATAACCACG 360 TGAACTGGGA CCTCACAATC TGTCATTCTT GGGCTTCAAC TCGACTGCTT TTCCTTCTCC 420 AATAAACCCC TTGCAGACAA AAAAA 445 445 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 66 ACACTGGTCT CCAGCTCACC AATCCTCCAG GTGACTTCCA GCCATGAAGA CTCTTGTCCT 60 CCTCTCTGCC CTTGTCCTGG TGGCCTACCA GGTCCAGGCT GATCCCATTC AAGGGGCAGA 120 AGAAGAGACT AAAACTGAAG AGCAACCATC AGATGAGGAC CAGGATGTGT CTGTCTCCTT 180 TGAAGGCCCA GAAGCCTCTG CTCTTCAAGA TTTTGAGATA GGAAGGCCAG TGAGGAGGTG 240 CCGTTGCAGA GCAAACTGCG GACCTAAAGA ATATGCCACT GCGTTCTGTG CTCAAGGTCC 300 ATTTAAACAG TTCAAATTCT GCTGCACATG AACATGGATC CCAAGTCTGA GATAACCACG 360 TGCTCTGGGA CCTCACAATC TGTCATTATT GTGCTTGACC TCAACTGCTT TTCCTTCTCC 420 AATAAACTCC TGGCAGACAA AAAAA 445 445 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 67 ACACTGGTCT CCAGCTCACC AATCCTCCAG GTGACTTCCA GCCATGAAGA CTCTTGTCCT 60 CCTCTCTGCC CTTGTCCTGC TGGCATTCCA GATCCAGGCT GATCCCATTC AAGAGGCAGA 120 AGAAGAGACT AAAACTGAGG AGCAGCCAGC AGATGAGGAC CAGGATGTGT CTGTCTCCTT 180 TGAAGGCCCA GAACCCTCTG CTCTTCAAAA TTTAGAGATC AGATGGCCAT GGAAGAGGTG 240 CCATTGCAGA AGTTTCTGCA GACCTTATGA AAATGCCACT TCGTTCTGTG CTCAAGGTCT 300 ATTTAAACAA CACAAATTCT GCTGCCTAGA AACATGGCCC CCAAGGATGA AATAACCACG 360 TGCTCTGGGA CCTCACAATC TGTCATCATT GTGCTTGGCC TCAACTTCTT TTCCTTCTCC 420 AATAAACTCC TTGCAGACAA AAAAA 445 2457 base pairs nucleic acid double linear not provided 68 CCTGAGACCA ACTCTGTGAT AATCAGAAAA GTCAATAATG TGTCTGAAAT GTAAGGTGTG 60 CTTCTTGACT GATAGTTCTA AGCCTACAGA GAGATTCATG TGGTCATATC CCATTTAACA 120 ATGATATATA TGTTAAATAT ATAAAGATAT ATGTATGTTC AGTATGTATG TTCAATATGT 180 ATGTAAATAA TATTCTTGCT GCTTCACTAG CTTTTACACA GAGCTGTAAG TAAAAACATT 240 GTAGCCAATG AATAGTATTT ATTAACATGT AAATAGGAGC TGGCACCTGT GACAGTGGGA 300 CTCCATACAC TGACTGTAAA CAACAGGATG CTCTGGACCT TTTGCTGTGT GTGTGGTGAG 360 AGACATGGGA TAAACACAGA CTGAAGAGTG TTCCTGAATG ACATGGCGGC ACTTCTCGAG 420 ACCGGGTAGC AGCTTCTGAG CCTCTCTACA TTGTGGATGT CCTTTCCTGT AGGTCAGGTC 480 TCATTGTCTA AAAGTAAAAG CATTGCAGCA TCTCAGACCT GGGAAACACC CCATGGCTTG 540 AGGGTCCTGA GCATGAAGAG CCACCTGGAG CTCACTCTTG GCAGATGTGT TCCATGACTT 600 TGGCTTCTTC AGAACAACCC ACTACAGCTT CACTCTGACA AATCCTAGAA ACTTGAACTC 660 AATTCACTAG AGGGCACCAT AAAGCCATCA TACCTTATAA TGGCCCCAAA GGAGGTGATT 720 CACAAAGTTT GCCTTGATGA GGACAATTGC TAATACACAA AAACTTGCAA AAAAAAATTG 780 AGTGTCCAGT CCACCTGGTC AAGGACTGGT CCCGGATCCA CAGTTTCTGA GAATAGCAGG 840 CTCTAACTTG AAAACACAAA AATTGTTTGT TCTATGAGCT CATTAAATTA GGCAGTGTTC 900 AGCTATTTTC TTTCCTGACC ACTGAGAGGT AAATACTCAA GCAGATGGGA AACAGGGGAG 960 GACAGTAAAG CCTGTTCATC ATTATCAGTG GGAGTGTGCA TGAGGGGAGG GGTGTCAGTG 1020 AACACACAGA GCATCAGGAA GGAAGCCTTG AGGACAGAGG AACATCAAAG GGATCCTGAG 1080 GACAACAGCT GGGAGCAGTT GCCATCAATG AGTGCCTTCT CTAAGTATGG GGCATGTTCT 1140 TTGCCCTATA AATGCAGGCT GGCTTCTCTC TCCACACACT GGTCTCCAGC TCACCAATCC 1200 TCCAGGTGAC TTCCAGCCAT GAAGACTCTT GTCCTCCTCT CTGCCCTTGT CCTGCTGGCA 1260 TTCCAGGTCC AGGCTGATCC CATTCAAGAG GCAGAAGAAG AGACTAAAAC TGAGGAGCAG 1320 CCAGCAGATG AGGACCAGGA TGTGTCTGTC TCCTTTGAAG GCCCAGAACC CTCTGCTCTT 1380 CAAAATTTAG GTGCGTGCTT GTGCACAGAA TGATGGAGGC TTGGAGTCTC CTGATGGAGG 1440 GTTGTAGATT AGCCCTGGAG TCCTGTCAAG GACAGTCTGG TTCAGGTAGC TGTCTACTGA 1500 TCCTTTCAGA ACTTCCCTGT CTTATTCATA GAAATAACAG TGAGAGACAA GCCATTGGGC 1560 TTGACTTTTT CCTTTTAAGA TTTCGGTCTA ACAATTTATC TGTGAAAAAC CTTTAAAATA 1620 TAAAACATAT TGATTAGTTC TTTAAACCTG AGTGATAATT TTCTTACAGG AAGAAATATC 1680 CGTTTTACCC TAAAAATTAG ATTGGTACCC AAATGCCAGT GTATGAAGGT GTTGGGTCAA 1740 GAAAACACAA AAAAACTGTT AGAATATGGT GTAGATGAAA ATTCCTATAT GTGATTAACA 1800 CTTGTTAAAC ATCTTATCTC CATGTGTTTG GGGTTGATCA CTGTGCTGGC TGTGATGTCA 1860 CCCACACAGC AAACCTACTC TCTACCATGC ACAGGACATC TTCATGGGGT AGTTCACTGT 1920 TACACACTAC TGGCCTCCTT ACTTCATGCC TGATGCTTTC TTGTTTCCTC AGAGATAGGA 1980 TGGCCATTAA AGCAGTGCCA TTGCCGAAAG TTCTGCAGAC CTTATGAAAA GGCCGAGGGG 2040 TCCTGTCGTC CAGGTCTATT TATAAAACGC AAAATCTGCT GCATACAACA ATGGACACCA 2100 GGGAGGACAT AACCACGTGA ACTGGGACCT CACAATCTGT CATTCTTGGG CTTCAACTCG 2160 ACTGCTTTTC CTTCTCCAAT AAACCCCTTG CAGACAAATA ACCTGTTTAT GTTTTTTTGA 2220 TGCTTTCTAT GTGGCGTAGA CAGGACTCTC CTGAGCCATG TAGCAAAATC TTCAGTGAAT 2280 CCTTTGTAAA AGAAGTCTTG GTCACATTTC AGCAGTCATA TCAAGGATGA GCAGGAGGTT 2340 AGATCCAAAG AGACAAGATG GTCTGCGCCA GCTGCTTCTG TGTCTATCAA GTCTTCTGTC 2400 CTTTAGATTA GAGTCACCCT CAAAAATTAG TTCCAGATTT TCATGTTCTA TTTTTTC 2457 2408 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 69 TATTACGAAT TCGAGCTCGG TACCGGTATA TGAAGAGCGA CCACTGCCAG GACGAAAGTG 60 CAATGCGGCA TACCTCAGTG GCGTGGAGTG CAGGTATACA GATTAATCCG GCAGCGTCCG 120 TCGTTGTTGA TATTGCTTAT GAAGGCTCCG GCAGTGGCGA CTGGCGTACT GACGGATTCA 180 TCGTTGGGGT CGGTTATAAA TTCTGATTAG CCAGGTAACA CAGTGTTATG ACAGCCCGCC 240 GGAACCGGTG GGCTTTTTTG TGGGGTGAAT ATGGCAGTAA AGATTTCAGG AGTCCTGAAA 300 GACGGCACAG GAAAACCGGT ACAGAACTGC ACCATTCAGC TGAAAGCCAG ACGTAACAGC 360 ACCACGGTGG TGGTGAACAC GGTGGGCTCA GAGAATCCGG ATGAAGCCTG CTTTTTTATA 420 CTAAGTTGGC ATTATAAAAA AGCATTGCTT ATCAATTTGT TGCAACGAAC AGGTCACTAT 480 CAGTCAAAAT AAAATCATTA TTTGATTTCA ATTTTGTCCC ACTCCCTGCC TCTGTCATCA 540 CGATACTGTG ATGCCATGGT GTCCGACTTA TGCCCGAGAA GATGTTGAGC AAACTTATCG 600 CTTATCTGCT TCTCATAGAG TCTTGCAGAC AAACTGCGCA ACTCGTGAAA GGTAGGCGGA 660 TCTGGGTCGA CTCTAGGCCT CACTGGCCTA ATACGACTCA CTATAGGGAG CTCGAGGATC 720 ATTGCTAATA CCATGAAACT TGACCACCTG GTCAAGGACT GGTCCAGGGT CCACAGTTTC 780 TGAGAAGAGC AGGCTCCAAC TTCTAACCAC AAAAACTATT TTTTCCATGC GCTCCTTAAA 840 TTAGGCAGCG CCCAGCTATT TTCTTTCCTG ACCACTGAGA GGTAAATACT CAAGCAGATG 900 GGAAACAGGG GAAGATAGCA AGGCCTCTTC ATCATTATCA CTGGGTGTGT GCGTGAGGGG 960 AGGGGTGTCA TTGCATACAC AGGGCAACAT CAGGATGGAA GCCTTGAGGA CAGAGGAACA 1020 TCAAAGGGAT CCTGAGGACA ACAGCTGGGA GCAGTTGCCA TCAGTGAGTG CCTTCTCTAA 1080 GTGTGGGGCC TTTCTCTGCC ACATAAATGC AGGCTGCCTC CTCTCTCCAC ACACTGGTCT 1140 CCAGCTCACC AATCCTCCAG GTGACTTCCA GCCATGAAGA CTCTTGTCCT CCTCTCTGCC 1200 CTTGTCCTGG TGGCCTACCA GGTCCAGGCT GATCCCATTC AAGGGGCAGA AGAAGAGACT 1260 AAAACTGAAG AGCAACCATC AGATGAGGAC CAGGATGTGT CTGTCTCCTT TGAAGGCCCA 1320 GAAGCCTCTG CTCTTCAAGA TTTTGGTGAG TGCTTATGCA CAGAATGATG GAGGCTTGGA 1380 GTCTCCTGAT GGAGGGTTGT AGATTAGACC TGGAATCCTG TCAAGAACTG TCTGGTTCAG 1440 GTAGCTGTCT CTTGGTCCCT TTACATTCCT TGTCTTCTTC ATAGAAGTAA CGGAGAGAGA 1500 TTAACCATTG GGCTTGACTT TTTTCCTTTT AAAATTTTTG ATCTAACAAT TTATCTGTGG 1560 AAAACCTTTA AAATATAAAA CATATTGATT AGTTCTTTTA GACCTGATTG ATAATTTTGT 1620 TATAAGAAGA AATATTCGTT CTACTTTAAA AATTAGATTT GGGACCCAAA TGCCAGTGTA 1680 TGAAGCTGTT GGGTAAGGAA AAACCAAAAA TGGTGATAGA ATGTTGTGTA GATGACAATT 1740 CCTTTATGCG ATTAACACTT TTTAAAATGT CTTATCTCCA TGTGTTTGGG GTTGATCATG 1800 GTGCTGACTG TGATGTCACC CACAGAGCAA ACCTACTCTC TACCATGCAC AGGACATCTT 1860 CATAGGGTAG TTCACTGTCA CACACTGCTG GCCTCGTTAC TTCATGCCTG ATGCTTTCTT 1920 GTTTCCTCAG AGATAGGAAG GCCAGTGAGG AGGTGCCGTT GCAGAGCAAA CTGCGGACCT 1980 AAAGAATATG CCACTGCGTT CTGTGCTCAA GGTCCATTTA AACAGTTCAA ATTCTGCTGC 2040 ACATGAACAT GGATCCCAAG TCTGAGATAA CCACGTGCTC TGGGACCTCA CAATCTGTCA 2100 TTATTGTGCT TGACCTCAAC TGCTTTTCCT TCTCCAATAA ACTCCTGGCA GACAAATAAT 2160 CGGTATATGT TTATTTGATG CTTTCTATTT GGCTTAGACA GAACTCTCCT GAGCCATGTA 2220 GCTGAATCTT CAGTGAATCC TTTGTAAAGG TCACATTTCA GCAGTCATAT CAAGGATGAG 2280 CAGGAGGTTA GATACAAAGA GACAAGATGG TCTGCGCCAG CTGCTTCTTT GTCTATCAAG 2340 TCTGCTTTCC TTTAGATTAG AGTCACCATC AAAAATTATT CCCACATTTT CATGTTCTAT 2400 ATTTTTTT 2408 2551 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 70 CCTGAGACCA ACTCTGTGAT AATCAGAAAA GACAATTATG TGTCTTAAAT GTAAGGTTTG 60 CTTCTTGACT GATAGATCTA ACCCTACAGA GAGATTCAAG TGGTCTTGTC CCATTGAACA 120 ATAGTATATA TGTTTTATAT ATATATATAT ATATATGTAT ATGTATATAT ATATGTGTGT 180 GTGTGTGTGT GTGTGTCTGT GTCTGTGTGT CTGTGTGTCT GTGTGTCTGT GTGTCTGTGT 240 GTGTATGTGT GTGTATGTGT ACATATGTTC AATATGTCTG TAAAATAGTA TTCTTGTAGC 300 TTCACTTACT TTTGCACAGA GCTGTAAATA AGAACATTGT AGCCAATGAA TAGTATTTAT 360 TAACATGTAA ATAGGAGCTG GCACCTCTGA CAGTGGGACT CCATACAGTG ACTGTAAACA 420 ACAGGATGCT CTAGACCTTT TGCTGTGTGT GTGGTGAGAG ACATGGGATA AACACAGACT 480 GAAGTGTATG ACATGGCGGC ACTTCTCGAG ACCGGGTAGC AGCTTCTGAG CCTCTCTACA 540 TTGTGGATGT CCTTTCCTGT AGGTCAGGTC TCATTGTCTA AAAGTAAAAG CATTGCAGCA 600 TCTCAGACCT GGGAAACACC CCATGGCTTG AGGGTCCCGC AGGTGAAGAG CCACCTGGAG 660 CTCACTCTTG GCAGATGTGT TCCATGACTT TGGCTTCTTC AGAACCACCC ACTACAGCTT 720 CACTCTGACA AATCTTAGAA ACTTGAACTC AATTCACTGG AGGGCACAAT AAAGCCATCT 780 TACTTTCTCT AAAATGGCCC CAAAGGAGGG GATTCACAAA GTTTGCCTTG ATGAGGACCA 840 TTGCTAATAC CCCAAAACTT GCAAAAAAAA TTGAGTGTCC AGTCAACCTG GTCAAGGACT 900 GGTCCTGGAT CCACAGTTTC TGAGAAAAGA AGGCTCCAAC TTCAAAACAC AAACCACTCC 960 TGTTCTATGC GCTCATTAAA TTAGGCAGTG TTAAGCTATT TTCTTTCCTG ACCACTGAGA 1020 GGTAAATACT CAAGCAGATG GGAAACAGGG GAGGACAGCA AAGCCTGTTC ATCATTATCA 1080 GTGGGAGTGT GCGTGAGGGG AGGGGTGTCA GTGAACACAC AGAGCATCAG GAAGGAAGCC 1140 TTGAGGACAG AGGAACATCA AAGGGATCCT GAGGACAACA GCTGGGAGCA GTTGGCATCA 1200 CTGAGTGCCG TCTCTAAGTG TGGGGCCTTT CTCTGCCACA TAAATGCAGG CTGGCTCCTC 1260 TCTCCACACA CTGGTCTCCA GCTCACCAAT CCTCCAGGTG ACTTCCAGCC ATGAAGACTC 1320 TTGTCCTCCT CTCTGCCCTT GTCCTGCTGG CATTCCAGAT CCAGGCTGAT CCCATTCAAG 1380 AGGCAGAAGA AGAGACTAAA ACTGAGGAGC AGCCAGCAGA TGAGGACCAG GATGTGTCTG 1440 TCTCCTTTGA AGGCCCAGAA CCCTCTGCTC TTCAAAATTT AGGTGCGTGC TTGTGCACAG 1500 AATGATGGAG GCTTGGAGTC TCCTGATGGA GGGTTGTAGA TTAGCCCTGG AGTCCTGTCA 1560 AGGACAGTCT GGTTCAGGTA GCTGTCTATT GATCCTTTCA GAACTTCCCT GTCTTATTCA 1620 TAGAAATAAC AGTGAGAGAC AAGCCATTGG GCTTGACTTT TTCCTTTTAA GATTTTGGTC 1680 TAACAATTTA TCTGTGAAAA ACCTTTAAAA TATAAAACAT ATTGATTAGT TCTTTTAAAC 1740 CTGATTGATA ATTTTGTTAT AGGAAGAAAT AACTGTTCTA CTTTAAAAAT TAGATTTGGT 1800 ACCTAAATGC CAGTGTATTA AGGTGTTGGG TCAGGAAAAC ACAATAATGC TGATAGAATG 1860 TGGTGTAGAT GACAATTCCT ATATGCGATT AACACTTGTT AAATTGTCCT ATCTCCATGT 1920 GTTTGGGGTT GATCATGGTG CTGGCTGTGA TGTCACCCAC ACAGCAAACC TACTTTCTAC 1980 CATGCACAGG ACATCTTCAT AGGGTAGTTC ACTGTCACAC ACTGCTGGCC TCCTTACTTC 2040 ATGCCTGATG CTTTCTCGTT TCCTCAGAGA TCAGATGGCC ATGGAAGAGG TGCCATTGCA 2100 GAAGTTTCTG CAGACCTTAT GAAAATGCCA CTTCGTTCTG TGCTCAAGGT CTATTTAAAC 2160 AACACAAATT CTGCTGCCTA GAAACATGGC CCCCAAGGAT GAAATAACCA CGTGCTCTGG 2220 GACCTCACAA TCTGTCATCA TTGTGCTTGG CCTCAACTTC TTTTCCTTCT CCAATAAACT 2280 CCTTGCAGAC AAATAACCTG TTTATGTTTT TTTGATGCTT TCTATGTGGC TTAGACAGGG 2340 CTCTCCTGAG CCATGTAGCA GAATCTTCAG TGAATCCTTT GTAAAAGAAG TCTTGGTCAC 2400 ATTTCAACAG TCATATCAAG GATGAGCAGG AGGTTAGATC CAAAGAGACA AGATGCTCTG 2460 CTCCAGCTGC TTCTTGACTA TCAAGTCTTC TGTCCTTCAG ATTAGAGTCA CCCTCAAAAA 2520 TTAGTCCCAC CTTTTCATGT TCTATTTTTT T 2551 

We claim:
 1. An aqueous solution comprising a substantially purified cryptdin peptide having an amino acid sequence as follows: X₁-Cys-X₂-Cys-Arg-X₃-Cys-X₄-Glu-X₅-Cys-X₆-Cys-Cys-X₇ wherein X₁ is 3 to 9 amino acids; X₂ is 1 amino acid; X₃ is 2 or 3 amino acids; X₄ is 3 amino acids; X₅ is 5 amino acids; X₆ is 6 to 10 amino acids; and X₇ is 0 to 9 amino acids.
 2. The aqueous solution of claim 1, further comprising a physiologically acceptable carrier.
 3. An aqueous solution comprising a substantially purified mouse cryptdin peptide having an amino acid sequence as follows: X₁-Leu-X₂-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-X₃-Cys-Lys-X₄-Glu-X₅-Gly-Thr-Cys-X₆-Cys-Cys-X₇ wherein X₁ is 3 or 4 amino acids; X₂ is 1 amino acid; X₃ is 3 amino acids; X₄ is 2 amino acids; X₅ is 3 amino acids; X₆ is 6 to 9 amino acids; and X₇ is 0 to 3 amino acids.
 4. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₁ of said substantially purified cryptdin peptide is selected from the groups consisting of Leu-Arg-Asp, Gly and Leu-Ser-Lys-Lys (SEQ ID NO: 1).
 5. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₂ of said substantially purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Val, Leu and Ile.
 6. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₃ of said substantially purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Lys-Gly-His and *Arg-Gly, wherein * is selected from the group consisting of Ser, Thr, Lys, Ile and Ala.
 7. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₄ of said substantially purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Gly-Arg, Arg-Arg and Arg-Gly.
 8. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₅ of said substantially purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Arg-Met-Asn, Arg-Val-Arg, Arg-Val-Phe, His-Met-Asn and His-Ile-Asn.
 9. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₆ of said substantial1y purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Gly-Ile-Arg-Phe-Leu-Tyr (SEQ ID NO: 2), Arg-Asn-Leu-Phe-Lau-Thr-Phe-Val-Phe (SEQ ID NO; 3), Arg-Arg-Gly-His-Leu-Met-Tyr-Thr-Leu (SEQ ID NO 4) and Arg-Lys-Gly-His-Leu-*-Tyr-Thr-* (SEQ ID NO: 5), wherein * indicates leu or met independently.
 10. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein X₇ of said substantially purified cryptdin is selected from the group consisting of Arg, Ser and Pro-Arg-Arg.
 11. The aqueous solution of claim 3, wherein the amino acid sequences X₁, Leu, X₂ of said substantially purified cryptdin are absent.
 12. The aqueous solution of claim 11, further comprising a physiologically acceptable carrier.
 13. An aqueous solution comprising a substantially purified cryptdin peptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: Gly-Leu-Leu-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-Lys-Gly-His-Cys-Lys-Arg-Gly-Glu-Arg-Val-Arg-Gly-Thr-Cys-Gly-Ile-Arg-Phe-Leu-Tyr-Cys-Cys-Pro-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO: 12); Leu-Ser-Lys-Lys-Leu-Ile-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-Ile-Arg-Gly-Cys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Glu-Arg-Val-Phe-Gly-Thr-Cys-Arg-Asn-Leu-Phe-Leu-Thr-Phe- Val-Phe-Cys-Cys-Ser (SEQ ID NO: 13); Leu-Arg-Asp-Leu-Val-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-Ala-Arg-Gly-Cys-Lys-Gly-Arg-Glu-Arg-Met-Asn-Gly-Thr-cys-Arg-Lys-Gly-His-Leu-Leu-Tyr-Met-Leu-Cys-tys-Arg (SEQ ID NO: 14) Leu-Lys-Gln-Cys-His-Cys-Arg-Lys-Phe-Cys-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Glu-Lys-Ala-Glu-Gly-Ser-Cys-Arg-Pro-Gly-Leu-Phe-Ile-Lys-Arg-Lys-Ile-Cys- Cys-Ile-Gln-Gln-Trp-Thr-Pro-Gly-Arg-Thr (SEQ ID NO: 15) Ile-Gly-Arg-Pro-Val-Arg-Arg-Cys-Arg-Cys-Arg-Ala-Asn-Cys-Gly-Pro-Lys-Glu-Tyr-Ala-Thr-Ala-Phe-Cys-Ala-Gln-Gly-Pro-Phe-Lys-Gln- Phe-Lys-Phe-Cys-Cys-Thr (SEQ ID NO: 16) Ile-Arg-Trp-Pro-Trp-Lys-Arg-Cys-His-Cys-Arg-Ser-Phe-Cys-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Glu-Asn-Ala-Thr-Ser-Phe-Cys-Ala-Gln-Gly-Leu-Phe-Lys-Gln- His-Lys-Phe-Cys-Cys-Leu-Asp-Thr-Trp-Pro-Pro-Arg-Met-Lys (SEQ ID NO: 10) Thr-Ser-Gly-Ser-Gln-Ala-Arg-Ala-Thr-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-Thr-Gly-Arg-Cys-Ala-Thr-Arg-Glu-Ser-Leu-Ser-Gly-Val-Cys-Glu-Ile-Ser-Gly- Arg-Leu-Tyr-Arg-Leu-Cys-Cys-Arg (SEQ ID NO:18) and Ala-Phe-Thr-Cys-His-Cys-Arg-Arg-Ser-Cys-Tyr-Ser-Thr-Glu-Tyr-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Thr-Cys-Thr-Val-Met-Gly-Ile-Asn-His-Arg-Phe-Cys-Cys-Leu (SEQ ID NO:19).
 14. The aqueous solution of claim 13, further comprising a physiologically acceptable carrier.
 15. An aqueous solution comprising a substantially purified mouse cryptdin peptide having an amino acid sequence as follows: X₁-Leu-X₂-Cys-Tyr-Cys-Arg-X₃-Cys-Lys-X₄-Glu-X₅-Gly-Thr-Cys-X₆-Cys-Cys-X₇ wherein X₁ is selected from the group consisting of Leu-Arg-Asp, Leu-Ser-Lys-Lys (SEQ ID NO:1) or Leu-Arg-Gly; X₂ is selected from the group consisting of Val, Leu or Ile; X₃ is selected from the group consisting of Lys-Gly-His or *Arg-Gly, where * is Ser, Thr, Lys, Ile or Ala; X₄ is selected from the group consisting of Gly-Arg, Arg-Arg or Arg-Gly; X₅ is selected from the group consisting of Arg-met-Asn, Arg-Val-Arg, Arg-Val-Phe, His-Met-Asn or His-Ile-Asn; X₆ is selected from the group consisting of Gly-Ile-Arg-Phe-Leu-Tyr (SEQ ID NO: 2), Arg-Arg-Gly-His-Leu-Met-Tyr-Thr-Leu (SEQ ID NO: 4) or Arg-Asn-Leu-Phe-Leu-Thr-Phe-Val-Phe (SEQ ID NO: 3) or Arg-Lys-Gly-His-Leu*Tyr-Thr*Arg-Lys-Gly-His-Leu-*-Tyr-Thr-* (SEQ ID NO: 5), where * independently is Leu or Met; and X₇ is selected from the group consisting of Arg, Ser or Pro-Arg-Arg. 